Trade Pathways Manager

Breakthrough Central Texas • Austin, TX

12d • $65,500 - $85,000

About The Position

As a primary provider of direct services to students and families, the Trades Pathways Manager supports the academic, career, and personal growth of students pursuing career and technical pathways. This role manages a caseload of students exploring or enrolling in trades, vocational licenses, and certificate programs (including both currently enrolled and not-yet-enrolled students) and directly supervises at least one full-time Program Coordinator serving a similar caseload. The Trades Pathways Manager reports to the Director of the College & Career Success Team. To achieve these goals, the Trades Pathways Manager will: Manage a caseload of 35–50 students pursuing career and technical pathways across community colleges, independent training providers, and apprenticeship programs, including fields such as manufacturing, health sciences, cosmetology, applied technology, plumbing, HVAC, CDL, and real estate. Supervise at least one Program Coordinator responsible for advising students enrolled in or preparing to enroll in trades programs. Oversee enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes for all Breakthrough students pursuing certificate or Associate of Applied Science pathways at ACC and independent trade schools. Collaborate closely with Breakthrough’s Community College Success Manager, Associate Directors, and Directors to provide training and ongoing support to advisers serving students in certificate and AAS programs. Co-lead Breakthrough’s summer orientation events designed to remove barriers for students enrolling in trade programs at Austin Community College. Strengthen and expand Breakthrough’s partnerships with Austin Community College, local nonprofit training providers (e.g., Skillpoint Alliance, Goodwill Career & Technical Academy), and businesses in trades and vocational fields (e.g., electrical, cosmetology, advanced manufacturing). Proactively engage high school graduates who are not enrolled in postsecondary education to explore their career and technical options and support re-enrollment based on their interests. Support re-enrollment efforts for students who have stopped out of their postsecondary program. Collect and analyze persistence and enrollment data to identify trends, barriers, and student needs for those pursuing trades locally and statewide. Build and maintain a resource repository for direct-service staff that supports advising across Breakthrough’s 12-year and Postsecondary Advising Program models; provide semesterly training for new advisers and AmeriCorps Fellows. Produce timely reports on program outputs and outcomes and collaborate with the Data Team to analyze enrollment patterns and site-specific training models. Develop strong, trusting relationships with Breakthrough students and families through phone, text, social media, email, and individual/group meetings. Meet or exceed required student contact standards based on service tier and document all interactions in Salesforce. Coordinate campus and job-site visits (caseload dependent) to meet with students and partners; engage business and industry representatives to provide informed guidance. Plan and facilitate field trips for interested 12th-grade students to trade pathways programs identified and recommended by Breakthrough. Connect students to wrap-around supports that promote physical and socio-emotional well-being, including emergency funds, mental health referrals, and immigration consultation referrals. Foster a positive, collaborative culture within the College & Career Success Team and across the organization. Participate in committees and workgroups to support team planning, organizational change efforts, and other collaborative initiatives. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 5-7+ years of post-secondary access or persistence work with high school and/or students already enrolled in trades, vocational licenses, and certificates
• A skill and expertise navigating the many challenges that often keep students from enrolling in post-secondary options, ranging from academic and/or program preparedness to financial stressors to mental health concerns
• Significant program development experience that supports student and organizational outcomes
• A comfort and willingness to visit students at their training programs and job sites
• A willingness to travel in and around central Texas to facilitate site tours and field trips to programs of interest
• A strong comfort with ambiguity as solutions to the complicated challenges encountered in the work are still emerging
• An ability to drive innovation and develop programs from idea to impact to scale, especially programs that include multi-sector collaboration with schools and programs
• An ability to analyze student-level data in order to extract patterns, and convert these into actionable steps and programmatic suggestions
• Experience organizing events for small and large groups of students
• An ability to develop and improve systems for greater efficiency and effectiveness
• A commitment to growth mindset, to the belief that people can develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities to achieve their aspirations
• An ability to work with and motivate a diverse group of people
• Approaches conversations and decisions with openness and humility, as well as an awareness of identity, power, and privilege
• An ability to advocate effectively while maintaining positive and trusting working relationships
• A willingness and ability to take initiative as appropriate
• An ability to be highly organized, to prioritize effectively, and deliver commitments in a timely manner
• Excellent verbal, written and visual communication skills
• A strong desire to learn and grow, with a humility to their own competencies, identity, and positionality
• A disciplined, strong work ethic and comfort with working non-standard hours
• A commitment to and comfort in communicating with individuals who speak a language other than English, in particular Spanish

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in the trades, or a trade school is a plus

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of 35–50 students pursuing career and technical pathways across community colleges, independent training providers, and apprenticeship programs, including fields such as manufacturing, health sciences, cosmetology, applied technology, plumbing, HVAC, CDL, and real estate.
• Supervise at least one Program Coordinator responsible for advising students enrolled in or preparing to enroll in trades programs.
• Oversee enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes for all Breakthrough students pursuing certificate or Associate of Applied Science pathways at ACC and independent trade schools.
• Collaborate closely with Breakthrough’s Community College Success Manager, Associate Directors, and Directors to provide training and ongoing support to advisers serving students in certificate and AAS programs.
• Co-lead Breakthrough’s summer orientation events designed to remove barriers for students enrolling in trade programs at Austin Community College.
• Strengthen and expand Breakthrough’s partnerships with Austin Community College, local nonprofit training providers (e.g., Skillpoint Alliance, Goodwill Career & Technical Academy), and businesses in trades and vocational fields (e.g., electrical, cosmetology, advanced manufacturing).
• Proactively engage high school graduates who are not enrolled in postsecondary education to explore their career and technical options and support re-enrollment based on their interests.
• Support re-enrollment efforts for students who have stopped out of their postsecondary program.
• Collect and analyze persistence and enrollment data to identify trends, barriers, and student needs for those pursuing trades locally and statewide.
• Build and maintain a resource repository for direct-service staff that supports advising across Breakthrough’s 12-year and Postsecondary Advising Program models; provide semesterly training for new advisers and AmeriCorps Fellows.
• Produce timely reports on program outputs and outcomes and collaborate with the Data Team to analyze enrollment patterns and site-specific training models.
• Develop strong, trusting relationships with Breakthrough students and families through phone, text, social media, email, and individual/group meetings.
• Meet or exceed required student contact standards based on service tier and document all interactions in Salesforce.
• Coordinate campus and job-site visits (caseload dependent) to meet with students and partners; engage business and industry representatives to provide informed guidance.
• Plan and facilitate field trips for interested 12th-grade students to trade pathways programs identified and recommended by Breakthrough.
• Connect students to wrap-around supports that promote physical and socio-emotional well-being, including emergency funds, mental health referrals, and immigration consultation referrals.
• Foster a positive, collaborative culture within the College & Career Success Team and across the organization.
• Participate in committees and workgroups to support team planning, organizational change efforts, and other collaborative initiatives.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health, dental and vision insurance; Breakthrough pays 100% of employee only premiums
• Life insurance
• Matching 401K retirement plan
• Thirty days of annualized PTO
• Generous leave policy

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed