Career and Education Outreach Specialist

Dynamic Workforce Solutions•Nacogdoches, TX

7d•$18 - $21

About The Position

With minimal supervision, provide career guidance, career preparation, and workforce information regarding local in demand industry sectors and occupations; opportunities and training in middle skill jobs, pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs); internships; technical and/or community colleges and career-readiness preparation services. Expose, educate, and engage students in career development and career decision-making. This is a very responsible position with independent decision-making authority.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in human services, business, education, or a related field from an accredited four-year college or university (One year of qualifying experience may be substituted for each year (30 semester hours) of college up to a maximum of two years.)
At least two years of experience in education, youth training or workforce development programs. Strongly prefer individual with experience in workforce development or Career and Technical Education (CTE), preferably in gathering and reporting outcomes, and/or ISD experience as a teacher or counselor working with at-risk middle or high school populations.
A valid driver's license and access to reliable transportation (local, in-state, and out-of-state travel is required)
Ability to work independently and cooperatively
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with secondary and post-secondary education and training providers, local employers and youth.
Knowledgeable of classroom management strategies and demonstrate ability to develop interactive classroom presentations
Skilled and effective oral and written communicator with demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, especially youth
Customer satisfaction as a goal for the organization
Ability to travel frequently within the 12-county area.
May be required to utilize a personal automobile on an agency related business requiring a current valid driver's license and current automobile liability insurance.

Responsibilities

Work in assigned school district(s), that have agreed to partner in the program, and other locations, to provide career information, career awareness, and career resources for students in grades 5-12, their parents/guardians, and district staff.
Conduct an initial orientation and ongoing refresher for school staff at each participating school to explain the Workforce Career and Education Outreach Specialist's role and the resources to be provided.
Provide information on opportunities and training requirements in-demand industry sectors/occupations and making well-informed postsecondary decisions using Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) resources and other existing tools, including Texas Reality Check, Texas Career Check, Texas Consumer Resources for Education Workforce Statistics (Texas CREWS), Texas OnCourse, Texas Internship Challenge, Auto Coder, Texas Skills to Work, and Job's Y'all
Engage and train district staff members on using career tools and resources.
Organize training workshops on using TWC resources, such as the LMCI website, for employment and education.
Expose individuals to a variety of career pathways, including pre-apprenticeship and RA programs, technical and/or community colleges, and employment, through presentations, TWC tools, job fairs, and site visits.
Organize job exploration and career fairs.
Provide career support workshops for students, parents, and guardians
Provide classroom presentations, virtually or on-site, in the assigned ISDs that have agreed to partner in the program to provide career information, career awareness, and career resources to students in grades 5-12 and their parents/guardians and district staff.
Serve as a primary resource to the assigned ISDs for labor market information, including growth and high-demand occupations at the county, region, and state levels.
Work in coordination with school counselors and administrators.
Coordinate with local and state workforce services, employers, and educational institutions to build pathways into pre-apprenticeship and RAPs and encourage local employers to offer pre-apprenticeship and RAPs.
Maximize availability to students through a published schedule that includes virtual and on-site office hours for each location and structured meeting times for students.
Develop a multifaceted communication and support service model for connecting professional development services with students, including, but not limited to: on-site and virtual visits, strategic planning meetings, mentoring, and phone and text communication (if allowed by the ISD)
Organize and collaborate on annual workshops with subject matter experts within TWC, local business and industry leaders, chambers of commerce, and technical and/or community colleges to build a network of partnerships among local organizations and support local delivery of integrated career and education services.
Engage assigned school districts by offering opportunities to establish partnerships and connect with industry and postsecondary training providers, especially those leading into growth and high-demand occupation areas.
Develop and maintain community partnerships with businesses, educational organizations, and community stakeholders that align with current and future Workforce Solutions projects and initiatives
Foster employer/ISD collaboration and encourage employers to provide internship opportunities and serve as mentors and encourage partnerships between ISDs and technical and/or community colleges and pathways.
Establish strong working relationships with employers and invite them to connect with the classroom through classroom presentations or encourage them to offer industry tours, job-shadowing opportunities, internship/apprenticeship opportunities, and so forth, at their place of business.
Coordinate with any TWC program personnel to ensure the appropriate coordination of resources, for example, coordinate with the regional Student HireAbility Navigators, whose primary role and responsibility is the system planning, coordination, and promotion of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities within their workforce development area who are age 14 to 22 and are enrolled in secondary or postsecondary education.
Become familiar with TWC programs such as Adult Education and Literacy, Vocational Rehabilitation, Foster Youth, Career Signing Day, and Apprenticeship.
Support activities such as state-wide initiatives, local job fairs and special events, and serve on planning committee for regional youth career events.
Attending monthly and annual trainings provided by TWC staff to all Workforce Career and Education Outreach Specialists.
Travel is required within region and limited overnight travel may be required to attend regional, state, or national conferences, workshops, meetings, or trainings.
May be required to utilize a personal automobile on an agency related business requiring a current valid driver's license and current automobile liability insurance.
Maintain confidentiality of students and customers.
Other responsibilities as assigned.