Position Title: Employment Services Specialist

Employer: Workforce Initiative Association

Work Location: In-Person, New Philadelphia, Ohio

Employment Type: Regular, Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $20.09/hour; $39,175/annually (based on 37.50 work week|1950 hours per year)

About the Role

Ready to turn job searches into success stories? As an Employment Services Specialist, you are the friendly first stop for customers who walk into our OhioMeansJobs resource centers or meet with us online. You will help job seekers search, plan, and prepare for their next opportunity.

We're looking for someone organized, accurate and positive, with strong verbal and written communication, and genuinely committed to helping others — someone who brings a professional, positive attitude to every interaction.

Job Summary

Employment Services Specialists help job seekers, employers, and community members with their workforce needs at our OhioMeansJobs resource centers, in person and online. You will coach customers on career exploration, resumes, and online job search, and assess their skills and readiness. You will build employability plans with them and connect them to partner and community resources. Other duties include leading workshops, staffing job fairs and community events, and entering customer data accurately into our CRM and state systems.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following: 

• Assists individual customers seeking in-person or virtual services from the organization’s OhioMeansJobs resource centers and partners. Helps with job search and career exploration activities, including using OhioMeansJobs.com, the State of Ohio’s online job search resource. Provides general orientation to the local OhioMeansJobs centers, their available support services, and partner program information. Assists customers with using the computer, phone, fax, and other equipment available for use within the centers.
• Provides resume and internet job search assistance and helps connect customers to partner and community resources. Assists other team members in helping individual customers find jobs, and employer customers find workers. Matches job seekers resume with employer job orders to assist employer services staff in sourcing potential job candidates for their employer customers.
• Provides follow-up to participants to ensure supplemental activities are completed.
• Develops or revises a mutually agreed upon employability plan to access employment/training opportunities and to address barriers that impact successful job search outcomes.
• Conducts job seeker assessment to determine personal/work history to assess skills, aptitude, physical limitations, job interest and readiness.
• Provides labor market and career information that addresses the claimant’s specific needs.
• Utilize the OhioMeansJobs.com system to assist matching job seeker and employers based on needs and requirements.
• Provides guidance/assistance to customers regarding various activities such as registration to OhioMeansJobs.com, creating, posting and/or uploading resumes, as well as completing a career profile assessment in the system.
• Assists with data entry of customer information into the organization’s various customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
• Facilitates workshops and assists with job fairs and other community events to provide service outreach.
• Travels as needed to assist with staffing, presentations, workshops, or events in the organization’s service area and to attend meetings/training.

Education and/or Experience

• Associate degree from an accredited college or university or three to five years of related experience/training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• One to three years of customer service experience preferred.
• Must have strong job search skills. Job recruiting, job placement, or human resources experience preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal, written, and presentation form to both individuals and groups.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality with job seekers, employers, partners, and staff.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Knowledge of local community resources and services preferred.
• Accuracy in data entry skills.
• Knowledgeable and experienced in the use of personal computers and software/web applications.
• Valid Ohio driver’s license.

About Workforce Initiative Association (WIA):

WIA's mission is to provide workforce development programs that serve area businesses and prepare adults and youth for worthwhile and sustainable employment, especially recognizing those economically disadvantaged individuals and others in special need, through the US Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act federally funded programs. WIA also operates the OhioMeansJobs Centers in Stark and Tuscarawas Counties; a partnership of community organizations providing employment, training, and education resources. The centers are located in Canton and New Philadelphia. WIA staff fulfill roles that directly assist job seeker and business customers with their workforce needs.

What We Offer:

• Participation in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).
• Full-time staff have access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits; competitive sick/vacation leave; and company paid life insurance.
• Standard full-time work week of 37.50 hours (1950 hours per year).
• Compensation $20.09/hr. ($39,175 annually)

Ready to help others find their next employment opportunity? Apply today and join a team that is making a real impact!