CharityVillage

Position Description: Youth Employment and Skills Specialist

NOC Code: 41321 – Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education)

Hours:                              35 hours per week

Wage:                               $27.33 to $33.11 per hour

Start date:                        As soon as possible

Location:                          Peterborough, Ontario

Reports to:                       Manager of Employment Services

Terms of Employment:    Full time, Permanent position

EHB and pension:            Extended Health Benefits after three-month probation; Defined Contribution Pension Plan after twelve months of continuous service

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Applications must include a cover letter and resume. Applications must be mailed, emailed or hand-delivered. Application via fax will not be accepted. Applications will ONLY be accepted if received as directed.

If emailing application, please send your cover letter and resume as one file, in PDF format, attached to your email, and include your first and last name in the title of the document.

Please address your application to:
recruitment@nccpeterborough.ca
Attention: Recruitment Committee
New Canadians Centre Peterborough
221 Romaine St. Peterborough, ON K9J 2C3

Thank you for your interest. Please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The New Canadians Centre Peterborough (NCC) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees in the Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Northumberland regions. We strive to empower immigrants and refugees to become full and equal members of Canadian society and to provide community leadership to ensure cultural integration in a welcoming community.

The Youth Employment & Skills Specialist supports youth and young adult clients’ job readiness through skills training, coaching and counselling as a member of the Employment Services Team. They also collaborate closely with the NCC Youth and Family Programs team to support the cross-team Workplace Integration Strategy, promoting the value of hiring newcomers and supporting their integration into workplaces. The Youth Employment & Skills Specialist provides training and skills development opportunities to NCC clients of all ages with a focus on youth clients aged 14-25.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

Workplace Integration Strategy

• Meet regularly with colleagues to provide updates and participate in operationalising the Workplace Integration Strategy at the NCC
• Assist with internal and external projects related to workplace integration

Client Services

• Focus on youth and young adult clients (age 14-25) and assist with support for adult clients (age 25+) as designated
• Employment intakes: interviewing clients, assessing their skills and abilities, obtaining employment histories, educational background and career goals
• Identify barriers to employment and assist clients with career exploration, coaching, job readiness skills, job search strategies, writing resumés and interview preparation
• Determine education, skills development and employment needs, develop an employment plan, and follow up on the implementation
• Refer clients for language assessment, coaching, workshops and other appropriate services as needed
• Maintain orderly case notes of each client in the database from intake to completion of service/training; complete Needs Assessments as required
• Market job seekers to employers and facilitate their hiring by ensuring adequate support and resources
• Provide clients with information and strategies for maintaining a job or moving within an organization, dealing with job dissatisfaction, and adjusting to workplace transitions
• Advise clients based on standards established through Employment Standards Act and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• Work closely with Settlement Workers in Schools team to build support for clients, including but not limited to:
  • Visiting schools across KPR and PVNC in the NCC catchment area
  • Liaising with the MLL Itinerant teachers to provide support for multilingual students
  • Connecting youth with schoolboard-specific skills and career development opportunities like the Focus on Youth summer jobs placement program, OYAP, SHSM, etc.
  • Delivering employment workshops in ESL classes
  • Finding volunteer placements for youth to complete community service requirement for graduation and build networks
  • Advising on post-secondary related questions, university and college applications, as well as OSAP/financial aid
  • Organizing timely skills development opportunities for high school-aged youth throughout the school year, on PA Days, during March Break, and throughout the summer
  • Creating social media content to promote valuable opportunities on the NCC Youth Instagram page, in addition to monitoring messages
  • Providing staffing support at youth events as needed
• Attend and contribute to internal Client Services meetings

Skills Development

• Develop and implement client-centered workshops & training for all clients as determined by program requirements and needs analyses; follow up with clients after training/workshops
• Collaborate with external facilitators to organize and co-deliver workshops/training as needed, including health and safety certifications such as:
  • First-Aid & CPR
  • Safe Food Handling
  • SmartServe
  • Working At Heights
• Work with Health & Safety Training providers and interpreters to organize multilingual training and certification opportunities that are in line with the Ministry of Labour requirements

Community Outreach

• Keep up to date with local and regional labour market trends

• Work with employers, community and partner agencies to
  • coordinate employment services for clients
  • facilitate warm referrals among agencies
  • increase ability of clients to access community services
  • increase staff awareness of services in the community for the purposes of information and referral

General Responsibilities

• Support the mandate of the New Canadians Centre
• Assist in organizing and/or participate in NCC events and activities
• Complete documentation such as expense reports and timesheets in a complete timely fashion
• Other duties as required and assigned by management

Qualifications:

Experience

• Post-secondary education or equivalent work experience in employment counselling, career development or in a related field, such as human resources development, psychology, education or social services is required
• Experience and skill in planning and delivering group programs, activities and workshops is required
• Working knowledge of the Employment Standards Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act is required
• Experience working with youth and young adults (14-25); work with newcomer youth in particular is preferred
• Knowledge of and personal experience with the elementary, secondary and post-secondary education system in Ontario is an asset
• Direct experience working between employers and immigrants, refugees and newcomers in a non-profit setting or with case management is an asset
• Lived experience as a newcomer to Canada or as a member of a marginalized group, as voluntarily self-identified by applicants, is viewed favourably

Competencies

• Ability to make linkages between needs assessment, labour market trends and program development
• Understanding of anti-oppressive language and concepts including power, privilege, intersectionality, and racism
• Strong organizational, problem solving and time management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills applicable to a multicultural setting, including the ability to persuasively advocate for issues related to workplace integration of immigrants, refugees and newcomers
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Adaptability and responsiveness to client and organizational needs
• Knowledge of community resources and immigration issues
• Understanding and empathy for the struggles which immigrants, refugees and newcomers face in starting a new life in Canada
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle important documents in a sensitive manner
• Demonstrated ability to keep accurate records, write reports and meet deadlines
• Proficient in use of computers and Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access
• Experience in conflict resolution and mediation an asset
• Proficiency in more than one language is considered an asset

Other

• Current Criminal Reference check with vulnerable sector screening
• Valid Ontario Class G Driver’s License, and access to a vehicle is required
• Willingness to travel within the catchment area of the KPR and PVNC school boards and NCC
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some weekends and evenings
• Ability and willingness to travel to related seminars, conferences, training, meetings, etc.

The NCC strives to be an equal opportunity employer.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Any information obtained during the course of recruitment will be used for employment recruitment purposes only, and not for any other purpose.

Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under the NCC’s Accessible Customer Service Policy. Applicants will need to make their needs known in advance.

 The NCC is an advocate for equity and is committed to ensuring representation in its staff team. We welcome applications from members of immigrant and refugee communities, people of colour, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.