Massachusetts Jobs

JOB TITLE: Youth Program Specialist Only candidates who submit a cover letter will be invited to a phone screening. THE OPPORTUNITY: The Youth Program Specialist is an essential role within the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board?s (MNWB) Workforce Development Team. As a part of the Connecting Activities (CA) network, a statewide network led by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and organized through sixteen MassHire Workforce Boards, the Youth Programs Specialist is uniquely positioned within priority schools in the Metro North region to help youth and young adults (14-25) get their careers started. Reporting to the Sr Manager of In School Programs, the Youth Programs Specialist is an active and integral member of MNWB?s Workforce Development department. As the on-site career advisor at Connecting Activities schools, the Youth Program Specialist provides case management, career awareness, and employment services; enters and manages data across multiple platforms for grant reporting; and develops partnerships with Metro North region nonprofits, schools, employers, and other organizations as needed to promote workforce initiatives for youth. This is a full-time position, and daily start time will vary depending on the schedule of the assigned schools. This is a hybrid position. This position must have regular, in-person presence in the Metro North region. The selected candidate must have the ability to fulfill below requirements. MNWB can provide public transportation assistance to ensure reliable access to work sites. This includes: ? Weekly in-person days on-site at assigned schools. ? Regular in-office days during onboarding. ? Two in-person days per month at MNWB?s office in Davis Square, Somerville. ? Any other meetings, events, etc. that the Supervisor/Team Leader deems necessary for in- person presence. Please note that this is our current flexible work arrangement policy and may be subject to change. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: Travel to school partner sites 2-3 times per week to provide workforce readiness skills to high school students. Support high school students in discovering their skills and align them with potential career paths involving a thoughtful and exploratory process. Work directly with youth, both individually and in groups, to develop job preparation skills and provide workshops such as presentations on resume writing and interviewing skills. Conduct intake and assessment interviews with referred youth. Maintain ongoing contact with program participants and monitor progress toward completion of program requirements, providing individualized support as needed, including resource and referrals. Work with a caseload of school partners and assist them and/or educational partners in the identification of employer sites for student internships, student job shadows, and teacher externships. Coordinate with schools to promote scheduled career events amongst students such as job fairs and career panels and support day-of logistics as needed. Maintain timely and accurate records, case files, and database entries in MNWB?s internal Salesforce database and state CA database. Assist the Senior Director of Workforce Development and Senior Manager of In School Programs in preparing reports as needed. Support other workforce development team projects and tasks as needed. Join an expanding team committed to workforce development and youth development. As a member of the Workforce Development Team, be a thought partner in developing strategies and policies to advance initiatives in youth employment for the Metro North Region. Attend all meetings and trainings deemed necessary by the Senior Manager of In School Programs. Organize conferences, workshops, and events, in collaboration with school and community partners.