Youth Employment Specialist

Skills For Change Metro•Toronto, ON

5h•CA$0 - CA$26•Onsite

About The Position

Skills for Change is a non-profit charity with 43 years of operations and a province-wide reputation for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. We offer a range of accelerated programs including mentoring, employment, settlement, and language training together with specialized programs for skilled trades, women, and youth. We have 3 locations across the GTA and serve 16,000 clients annually. The Barrier Breakdown: Dedicated Employment Pathways for Underserved Youth program will provide underserved youth with tailored wraparound support and career counselling as they explore opportunities in the Skilled Trades, STEM, and sustainability sectors. The focus is on ensuring multi-barriered youth have access to equitable career and education pathways and dedicated support to help not just identify but remove barriers to fulfilling and prolonging employment or further skills development. The Youth Employment Specialist will deliver pre-employment support, case management and career development through tailored skills development and employment services.

Requirements

Post-secondary degree/diploma in the Social Sciences, Social Services, Adult Education or a related discipline or equivalent work experience, with preference to graduates of an employment counselling program.
Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office products and the ability to use a variety of computer programs. Knowledge of working with databases and generating reports.
3 years of experience working in 1:1 employment counselling and group facilitation role working with newcomers, youth, women, Indigenous, racialized, and other diverse groups in employment Ontario or other employment programs.
A minimum of 3 years' work experience in employment program delivery as counsellor or facilitator with preference given to those working in employment services such as Ontario Works, Employment Ontario, ODSP or Settlement Employment.
3 years experience working with youth in an employment/career development setting
Knowledge of, and familiarity with, community resources and labor market information.
Sensitivity to, and understanding of, issues and barriers to employment faced by immigrants, women, clients with disabilities, youth, racialized, and other disadvantaged groups.
Ability to handle a large workload, program deadlines, and competing priorities.
Ability to travel throughout the GTA to meet the needs of clients and program delivery expectations.
Excellent facilitation and employment counselling skills.
Excellent verbal, written communication, customer service and presentation skills.
Proficiency in MS Office, ability to deliver PowerPoint presentations.
Advanced Knowledge of applicable Employment Service guidelines.
Advanced knowledge of other applicable agencies, programs, and services.
Advanced knowledge of local community agencies.
Knowledge of Employment Counselling principles.
Advanced knowledge of Employment Standards, Human Rights and Ontario Labour Law.
Strong interpersonal and client focused skills as well as a positive attitude towards change.
Initiative, energy, and persistence to complete tasks as well as excellent time management and teamwork skills
Planning and organizational skills.
Conflict resolution skills.
Relationship-building and collaboration skills.
Problem solving skills and resourcefulness in meeting clients’ support needs by identifying issues and working toward solutions
Ability to work daytime, some evening and weekend hours.

Nice To Haves

Ability to speak additional languages an asset.

Responsibilities

Provide diverse youth with tailored career development, guidance and individualized employment support through skills development and employment services.
Conduct intake and recruitment activities to engage participants for the program.
Facilitate skills building workshops and field trips for youth in partnership with subject matter experts and workshop facilitators
Provide career counselling related to sectors of skilled trades, STEM and sustainability to strengthen youth employment across these sectors.
Offer career pathway exposure, future job prospects, and information about in-demand skills in all three fields.
Support youth job seekers with addressing barriers to employment through available wrap around supports for mental health, mentorship, coaching and other referrals.
Provide individualized case management support to youth clients, including assessing employment and training needs to support career success.
Liaise and coordinate sector-specific Work Integrated Learning (WIL) employment opportunities and skills training with employer partners.
Utilize innovative approaches to career development that support youth to build capacity and overcome barriers to employment.
Identify, engage, and build relationships with employers to fill skilled labour gaps and secure meaningful employment opportunities for clients.
Support employers in working with individuals from identified Inclusion groups to overcome barriers to employment.
Support job seekers and employers through SfC led networking events and job fairs.
Conduct outreach to generate referrals to the program and build community engagement and relationships.
Connect with internal programs, outside agencies, and other community groups to raise awareness of and create intake pathways to the program.
Gather and utilize Labour Market Insight and information to support clients and employers.
Seek opportunities to advance client learning through participation in other training programs.
Build and maintain a positive working relationship with employers.
Connect with internal programs, outside agencies, and other community groups to raise awareness of and create intake pathways to the program.
Attends various internal and external meetings, representing SfC for the purpose of client case conferencing, professional development, community engagement and program improvement, with a focus on achieving KPIs.
Provide information and assistance to clients using the program resources (computers, books, fax, and photocopiers) in the Job Search facility.
Participate in the distribution, collection, collation, and analysis of participant surveys and other evaluation to continually improve services based on client feedback.
Liaise with other program staff members on an ongoing basis to support and monitor clients' progress.
Provide staff backup support as required within team, Employment Services, and agency locations
Handle additional tasks as required by the Supervisor and Senior Manager of Employment Services