Construction Teaching Assistant
New Meaning Centre: NMT Nuneaton
Type: Full Time, Permanent, All-year-round
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Schedule: Monday to Friday 07:30–15:30
Salary: £24784.50 (Salary negotiable and based on experience)
Job Reference: WARKSCONTA022602RW
Introduction
Some of the young people we work with don't trust education straight away. That makes sense. If you've spent years feeling misunderstood, struggling in lessons, or being told you're the problem, it can take time to believe that things might be different. That's where this role comes in.
We're looking for a Construction Teaching Assistant to join our Nuneaton team. You'll work alongside our Construction Tutor, supporting young people as they develop practical construction skills, confidence, and a sense of what's possible for their future. Construction is the vehicle, but relationships come first.
The young people on our programmes are aged 16–25 and many have additional needs, including SEND and SEMH needs. Some arrive with very little confidence in themselves or their ability to succeed. They don't need someone who's going to lecture them. They need someone who can stay calm, build trust, celebrate small wins, and keep turning up even on the difficult days.You don't need to be a qualified teacher. You don't need to know everything about construction. What matters most is your ability to connect with young people, encourage them when things feel difficult, and help create an environment where they feel safe enough to try.
If you're the sort of person who naturally builds rapport, enjoys practical work, and gets genuine satisfaction from helping young people grow in confidence, we'd love to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities·
- Support learners during practical construction activities and workshop sessions.
- Build positive, trusting relationships with young people that encourage engagement, attendance, and progress.
- Work alongside tutors to support individual learners and small groups.
- Encourage learners to develop practical skills through hands-on activities and real-world tasks.
- Adapt your approach to meet the needs of learners with SEND and SEMH needs.
- Help create a calm, safe and welcoming learning environment where young people can succeed.
- Reinforce positive behaviours, routines, teamwork and communication skills.
- Support learners to build confidence, resilience, organisation and independence.· Maintain accurate records of learner engagement and progress.
- Follow safeguarding procedures and contribute to a culture of safety, consistency and care.
You Will Have
- A natural ability to build positive relationships with young people.
- Patience, empathy and a calm approach, particularly when things don't go to plan.
- Experience working with young people, either in education, youth work, coaching, mentoring, care, community work, or a similar setting.
- An understanding of, or willingness to learn about, SEND, SEMH and trauma-informed approaches.
- The ability to encourage, motivate and support learners with different needs and starting points.
- A practical mindset and an interest in construction, DIY, maintenance or hands-on learning.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills.
- Basic IT skills, including Microsoft 365.· GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent).
- A full UK driving licence would be helpful but is not essential.
About Us
New Meaning Training offers education with a difference.
We work with young people aged 15–25 who haven’t always had a straightforward experience of education. Some have been misunderstood, some have disengaged, and some are still working out where they fit. What they find here is something steadier — a place where there’s time to settle in, where expectations are clear, and where they’re not judged on what’s gone before.
In Warwickshire, we run two centres. Our Stratford-upon-Avon centre has been established for longer and offers a range of “Introduction to” programmes including Motor Mechanics, Hair & Beauty, Creative Art & Design, Computing Basics, and Sports. Each course gives young people the chance to try things out properly, build practical skills, and start to see what they might be good at.
Our Nuneaton centre, which opened in September 2025, focuses on Construction Multiskills and Retail & Hospitality. Like all of our courses, these are “Introduction to” programmes — designed to feel possible from the start, with a strong emphasis on learning through doing.
The Nuneaton team is still small — currently just four people — but it already has a good rhythm. People step in for each other, share ideas, and keep things moving on days that don’t go to plan (which happens). There’s a steady sense that everyone’s working towards the same thing.
There are also moments that don’t feel like a typical education setting at all. Our teaching assistant runs yoga and sound bath sessions for learners, and sometimes staff join in too. It’s not a headline feature — it just reflects the kind of place this is. Calm when it needs to be. Flexible when it matters. Always focused on helping young people feel settled enough to take part.
Alongside this, we run a Transition Support programme for young people with an EHCP who are not yet ready for a centre-based learning environment. This sits separately from our main provision and is designed to help them move towards that next step at a pace that works for them.
Most of the young people we work with are referred through schools, PRUs, and SEND services. That means we’re always balancing two things — creating an experience where young people feel understood, while also delivering something clear, structured, and trusted by the professionals around them.
We don’t expect things to change overnight. We focus on helping things feel possible again — and building from there.
Why work for New Meaning Training?
Generous annual leave
- 20 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Up to 10 additional “gifted” days off each year (taken during school holiday periods)
- Annual leave increases with length of service, up to a maximum of 24 days
Pension
- Auto enrolment into The People’s Pension enrolment
- 5% employee contribution with 3% employer contribution
Blue Light Card
- Access to hundreds of national discounts (retail, food, travel, days out)
- Admin fee fully reimbursed by NMT
Service recognition
- Additional annual leave as a thank you for long service
- Gift rewards at key milestones (e.g. 5 and 10 years)
Wellbeing benefits
- Annual flu vaccination voucher (paid for by NMT)
- Birthday gift voucher to celebrate your day
Sustainable travel schemes
- Cycle to Work scheme (salary sacrifice)
- Electric Vehicle scheme via Octopus Energy (salary sacrifice)
- Green Travel to Work initiatives with rewards for taking part
A supportive, values led workplace‑led workplace
- Strong focus on staff wellbeing, development, and collaboration
- Training and CPD supported as part of your role
- The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in young people’s lives
Safeguarding
New Meaning Training is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and adhere to our safeguarding and professional conduct policies.
- Checks: This post involves regulated activity and is subject to an Enhanced DBS check (including a Children’s Barred List check) and satisfactory professional references.
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA): This role is exempt from the ROA 1974. Applicants must disclose all convictions and cautions that are not ‘protected’ under the Exceptions Order 1975 (as amended 2013 and 2020). For guidance on which offences are ‘filtered’ and do not need to be disclosed, please refer to the DBS filtering guide.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £24,784.50-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
