DEPARTMENT: Youth & Workforce Development Programs

POSITION TITLE: Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator

LOCATION: Greenfield/Northampton

STATUS: Non-Exempt, 37.5 hours/week

SUPERVISOR: Workforce Development Coordinator or Manager

Compensation for positions at CAPV is based on a transparent agency wide salary scale. Each position is assigned a pay grade. Each paygrade has 3 salary levels based on education and work experience to determine the rate of pay.

POSITION SUMMARY:

We work with youth/young adults who are historically and ongoingly impacted by systems of oppression towards achieving economic justice. The Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator provides goal-oriented support for participants ages 17 to 24 to provide education and employment opportunities. The Career Navigator develops compassionate and respectful relationships with participants using a strengths-based approach. The Career Navigator provides steps towards opportunities that youth/young adults who may otherwise have difficulty accessing. Examples of this include going to job training, attending college as a new or returning student, and exploring a career with a paid internship.

The Career Navigator develops compassionate and respectful relationships with participants using a strengths-based, goal-oriented approach The Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator provides outreach, case management and support to young people aged 17-24 who are working towards their next steps in education, training, and employment. The position is the direct support for youth in exploring and achieving their short, medium-, and long-term goals to map a pathway for education, employment and career success. The Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator works with youth to register for training or college, develops internships to explore employment and supports youth to overcome barriers to those goals. The Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator assists youth in resume and cover letter development, interview skills and conducting job search. Additionally, the Youth/Young Adult Career Navigator is responsible for administrative tasks including maintaining case notes, = data entry, document collection, and ensuring that program standards are maintained.

A Typical Day

• Arrive at the office to start work at 9am
• Settle into workspace, set up computer and turn on work phone
• Check email and teams, respond to time sensitive or urgent messages
• Schedule individual case management meetings with participants for the week and send out reminders for upcoming meetings. Meet with a participant for individual support to apply for a job. Attend a Workforce Development/Staff meeting (8-20 people)
• Take a half hour lunch break at noon, maybe go outside or take a walk!
• Bring a participant shopping for work clothes to prepare for their internship.
• Meet with a participant to set goals that map out the steps to replace their identity documents (I.e., birth certificate, social security card)
• Work on case notes, updating goals and tracking service hours for today's participant meetings.
• Prepare to wrap up the day by reviewing tomorrow’s schedule, updating the to do list and touching base with the supervisor if needed

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide individual support/case management to approximately 15-20 participants.
• Work with participants to complete assessments, establish and support progress of their goals.
• Build relationships and attend meetings with community partners, area coalitions, youth/young adult serving non-profit organizations.
• Serve as a liaison to coordinate services and opportunities for participants.
• Work in partnership with other Youth & Workforce Development staff to plan and coordinate opportunities to support interdepartmental integration services and activities across programs.
• Communicate regularly with supervisor to maintain weekly work schedules and locations in Outlook calendar.
• Complete all required paperwork, data collection and case records as required.
• Remote work available complying with the agency’s policy.
• Required to travel regularly throughout the Youth and Workforce Development Programs service area, to other Community Action sites and service locations, and occasionally out of the service area.
• Follow guidelines, procedures, and policies of the program contract, of Youth & Workforce Development Programs, and of Community Action
• Attend weekly supervision with supervisor, create professional development goals and attend professional development trainings.
• Respond clearly and timely to emails, chats, and complete required work documents within established timelines.
• Attend regularly scheduled, team meetings, mandatory agency trainings, and participate in professional development activities.
• Maintains strictest confidentiality.
• Perform other reasonable duties as assigned by the supervisor, director or designee.

This does not cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may be adjusted to meet the operational needs of the agency.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

You are encouraged to apply even if your education or experience isn’t an exact match, we value lived experience and believe the skills to succeed in the position can come from a variety of experiences.

• Associate’s Degree
• One year experience working with youth/young adults, providing individual support/case management
• Experience working with youth/young adults who are low income, queer, trans, Black, brown, disabled, and/or housing insecure
• Bi-lingual/Bicultural (Spanish/English) preferred
• CPR/First Aid (will provide if needed)

SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Openness to understanding participants as experts of their own varied experiences and identities
• Basic computer skills and willingness to learn: Microsoft Suite (Outlook Email, Calendar, and Teams chat); Discord, and Zoom
• Effective verbal (in-person and phone) and written communication skills
• Practiced organizational skills and attention to detail
• Skillful relationship building with participants, staff, and community members
• An understanding and willingness to talk about issues using an approach that is positive, engaging, accessible, and inclusive, such as Positive Youth Development and harm reduction
• A balance of initiative to work independently and collaboration to work with others
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working environment.
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic diversity and the needs of individuals with low incomes.
• Understanding and willingness to learn data capture and tracking methods
• Humility and a willingness to learn about experiences that are different than your own

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Requires sitting for long periods
• Working in office environment
• Some bending and stretching required
• Extensive use of telephone required
• Manual dexterity required for use of agency provided cell phone and computer keyboard
• Must be able to lift up between 20 and 30 lbs.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include vision, color vision and the ability to adjust focus
• The work environment includes indoor office environments or comparable spaces, and community spaces, with occasional exposure to outdoor weather when traveling to outreach or meeting sites. The noise level varies by site

AA/EOE/ADA

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of Criminal Offender Record check (C.O.R.I.) prior to hire and every three years. Evidence of a good driving record and ability to be covered under Community Action’s non-owned and hired vehicle policy.