Learner Engagement Manager in Spath, Staffordshire

Can you build referral networks, grow learner numbers and motivate a team to deliver?

Quack Recruitment & Training is looking for an experienced Learner Engagement Manager to lead our learner recruitment activity, strengthen referral partnerships and help our team consistently achieve agreed learner-start targets.

We deliver funded Skills Bootcamps, including construction, utilities and retrofit programmes, helping adults develop practical skills and progress towards employment or career advancement. Quack Recruitment & Training

We are looking for someone who already understands learner recruitment within funded training: someone who knows how to generate interest, build productive relationships, convert suitable enquiries into starts and keep a team focused and motivated.

You will bring relevant experience, established professional connections and practical ideas that you can turn into results.

The role

You will take ownership of learner engagement and recruitment across our delivery areas, working closely with senior management, delivery, quality and progressions colleagues.

This is a hands-on management position. Alongside planning recruitment activity and managing performance, you will meet referral partners, support recruitment campaigns, speak with prospective learners and help the team overcome challenges.

Your focus will be on ensuring that each planned cohort has a strong pipeline of eligible, suitable learners—and that the team has the direction, support and accountability needed to achieve its targets.

Success means achieving the numbers while maintaining high standards of learner suitability, support and enrolment quality.

What you will be responsible for

Growing learner recruitment and filling cohorts

Develop and deliver recruitment plans for each programme, location and cohort. Translate learner-start targets into clear weekly activity, ensuring the team understands how many enquiries, appointments, completed enrolments and confirmed starts are needed.

Monitor recruitment well ahead of course start dates, identify shortfalls early and put practical recovery plans in place rather than relying on last-minute recruitment.

Building productive referral partnerships

Develop and maintain relationships with Jobcentre Plus, employability providers, local authorities, housing associations, charities, community organisations and other relevant referral partners.

Use your existing professional network to open conversations, while building new relationships across our delivery areas. Arrange partner meetings, presentations, information sessions and recruitment events that generate suitable referrals and repeat opportunities.

Keep partners informed about upcoming courses, eligibility requirements, available places and the progress of their referrals, where appropriate.

Leading, motivating and developing the team

Provide clear day-to-day leadership to the learner engagement team. Set individual and team expectations, run focused performance meetings and use regular one-to-ones to coach staff, recognise success and address underperformance constructively.

Support colleagues to improve their telephone conversations, follow-up, partnership development and conversion rates. Lead by example and create a positive team culture where people take ownership, share ideas and understand how their work contributes to results.

Bringing fresh recruitment ideas

Identify and test new ways to reach prospective learners, including targeted outreach, social media campaigns, community partnerships, information events and learner recommendations.

Evaluate which approaches generate suitable learners who actually start—not just large volumes of enquiries. Build on successful activity and change approaches that are not delivering.

Help establish recruitment networks in new delivery areas and reduce reliance on any single referral source.

Managing the journey from enquiry to course start

Ensure prospective learners receive timely contact, clear information and consistent follow-up through enquiry, initial advice and guidance, eligibility checks, enrolment and induction.

Identify barriers such as confidence, travel, digital access or additional support needs, and coordinate appropriate support with colleagues. Improve attendance at appointments and course starts, reduce avoidable drop-off and ensure a clear handover to delivery and progressions teams.

Using data while maintaining quality

Maintain accurate applicant, referral and recruitment records in PICS/PICSWeb and relevant trackers. Report clearly on learner-start forecasts, conversion rates, cohort-fill levels, referral-partner performance and risks.

Work with quality and compliance colleagues to ensure recruitment activity follows the relevant funding requirements and Quack’s processes. Ensure programme information is accurate, learner suitability is properly considered and recruitment targets never override safeguarding, inclusion or eligibility requirements.

What we are looking for

The following experience is essential:

• Previous experience in a Learner Engagement Manager, Learner Recruitment Manager or equivalent funded-training recruitment management role. This is not an entry-level position.
• A demonstrable record of achieving learner recruitment and start targets, with clear examples of the results you have delivered personally and through a team.
• An established network of relevant referral relationships, alongside the ability to develop new partnerships and turn them into a reliable source of suitable learners.
• Proven people-management experience, including motivating staff, coaching performance, setting expectations and addressing underperformance.
• A sound understanding of funded learner recruitment, including eligibility, learner suitability, initial advice and guidance, and barriers to participation.
• Proficiency in PICS/PICSWeb and recruitment reporting, with the ability to use data to prioritise activity, forecast starts and improve conversion.

You will also need to be organised, confident communicating with partners and comfortable taking responsibility for performance across several cohorts or delivery areas.

Experience that would be particularly valuable

Experience recruiting for Skills Bootcamps, especially within construction, utilities, retrofit or related sectors, would be particularly valuable. We would also welcome experience establishing recruitment activity in new regions, running digital learner-recruitment campaigns and holding a relevant information, advice and guidance qualification.

What success will look like

You will build a motivated team that understands its targets and consistently delivers against them. Planned cohorts will have stronger recruitment pipelines, referral partners will generate regular suitable applications, and fewer learners will be lost between initial enquiry and starting their course.

Senior management will have a clear view of expected starts, emerging risks and the action being taken. Your ideas will translate into measurable improvements in recruitment performance and learner experience.

Why join Quack?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a key business function and work directly with senior management to influence how learner recruitment is delivered.

You will have scope to bring forward ideas, strengthen partnerships and develop a team whose work helps adults access training and employment opportunities. We are looking for someone who wants to make a visible difference and can combine ambition for growth with a genuine commitment to learners.