Job Summary
Self-Employed Associate Trainer / Youth Programme Facilitator
Black Onyx Academy
Pay: Up to £200 per day
Contract: Self-employed / Associate
Location: Various delivery locations – travel required
About Black Onyx Academy
Black Onyx Academy is a veteran-owned and veteran-led training and education organisation delivering impactful programmes to young people, professionals and communities across the UK.
Our work is built around Trust, Integrity and Assurance, combining structured learning, real-world experience and positive mentorship to help young people develop the confidence, resilience and practical skills to make safer, more positive choices.
Our programmes include S.A.L.T. (Save A Life Today), our knife crime awareness and prevention initiative, alongside Operation Mindset and wider youth mentoring and intervention programmes covering areas such as resilience, accountability, communication, conflict, online safety, exploitation and positive decision-making.
As our delivery continues to grow, we are looking for exceptional people to join our associate trainer team.
The Opportunity
This is not a traditional classroom trainer role.
You will work directly with children and young people, including some who may have experienced adversity or be vulnerable to risks such as Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), county lines, peer influence and serious youth violence.
We are therefore looking for facilitators who can do more than simply deliver a presentation.
You will need to be able to connect, engage and build credibility with young people, create an environment where they feel safe to participate, and use your own professional experience appropriately to bring the learning to life.
As a veteran-owned and led organisation, the background and credibility of our facilitators is an important part of what makes our programmes different. We are particularly interested in individuals from an Armed Forces or closely aligned uniformed-service background who understand the values of discipline, resilience, teamwork, accountability and service.
What You’ll Be Doing
Depending on your experience and the programmes you are approved to deliver, you may:
- Facilitate Black Onyx Academy youth workshops and intervention programmes
- Deliver elements of S.A.L.T. – Save A Life Today
- Support programmes focused on knife crime awareness, personal safety and safer decision-making
- Deliver resilience, teamwork, communication and leadership activities
- Support young people to understand peer pressure, exploitation, online risks and consequences
- Facilitate practical and scenario-based activities
- Act as a positive and credible role model
- Encourage young people to reflect, participate and identify their own goals
- Provide appropriate feedback following sessions
- Work alongside residential care, education and safeguarding professionals
- Follow Black Onyx Academy safeguarding, disclosure and escalation procedures at all times
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
- Previous Armed Forces experience or a closely comparable uniformed-service background
- A recognised training / teaching qualification, such as Level 3 Award in Education and Training, PTLLS or equivalent
- Enhanced DBS, appropriate for working with children and young people
- Confident and engaging facilitation skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people from a range of backgrounds
- Strong professional boundaries and safeguarding awareness
- Full UK driving licence
- Access to your own reliable transport
- Willingness to travel to different delivery locations
- Reliable, professional and able to represent Black Onyx Academy's values
Desirable
We would particularly welcome applicants with experience in one or more of the following:
- Youth work
- Children's residential care
- Alternative provision
- Schools or education
- Mentoring
- Safeguarding
- Child Criminal Exploitation / County Lines
- Violence reduction or knife crime prevention
- Conflict management or de-escalation
- First aid / emergency response
- Mental health or trauma-informed practice
- Coaching or behavioural support
What Matters to Us
Qualifications are important, but how you engage people matters just as much.
We are looking for individuals who can command a room without dominating it, challenge young people without judging them and bring structure while still creating an environment in which young people feel listened to.
Our programmes deal with subjects that can be difficult and, at times, deeply personal. Facilitators must understand that safeguarding comes before delivery and be confident following procedures where a young person becomes distressed, is triggered by a discussion or makes a disclosure.
What We Offer
- Up to £200 per delivery day
- Flexible self-employed associate work
- Opportunity to deliver genuinely meaningful programmes
- Full induction into Black Onyx Academy programmes and delivery standards
- Programme resources and facilitator materials
- Ongoing quality assurance and support
- Opportunities to deliver across a growing portfolio of youth and professional programmes
- The opportunity to use your experience to make a tangible difference to young people's lives
Contract Information
This is a self-employed associate opportunity. Work will be offered according to programme demand, location, facilitator suitability and availability, and there is no guarantee of a minimum number of days.
Successful applicants will be required to complete Black Onyx Academy's onboarding, safeguarding and programme-specific familiarisation before being approved for delivery.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV along with a short covering statement explaining:
Your Armed Forces or relevant service background, your training/facilitation experience, and why you would like to use that experience to support young people through Black Onyx Academy.
Job Type: Freelance / Self-employed
Pay: Up to £200 per day
Black Onyx Academy
Trust | Integrity | Assurance
Pay: Up to £200.00 per day
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Licence/Certification:
- Training Qualification (required)
Work Location: In person
