Summary: The Youth Career Developer works with LGBTQ and allied youth, ages 13-22, to acquire the skills needed to identify career pathways and successfully transition into the world of work. A focus is placed on academic enrichment, college and career readiness, core skills needed for workplace success, and direct connection to internship and employment opportunities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop and coordinate programming related to long-term employment goals and job development for LGBTQ and allied youth.
- Engage and maintain relationships with outside employers and job development programs (e.g. training and certification for in-demand fields, etc.) to expand opportunity and connection for youth seeking employment.
- Provide individualized career coaching to assist youth in seeking and maintaining employment during drop-in hours, events, and in the context of leadership retreats. Oversee individualized program plans to support goals where indicated.
- Facilitate development and implementation of service-learning projects to enhance educational and career outcomes, in collaboration with youth participants and partner agencies.
- Create and implement programming and curricula that promote academic skills development, and partner with youth participants on successful transitions to college.
- Identify and work with youth program participants who have dropped out of high school (or are at risk for dropout) to complete their high school education or obtain HSE.
- Work with other staff to develop and implement job, school and scholarship search skill workshops and trainings, including resume and cover letter writing, internet job search skills, interviewing skills, etc.
- Implement risk-reduction workshops and psycho-educational groups, activity groups, and community events for LGBTQ youth.
- Provide individual youth with crisis-intervention, assessment and referral services and enroll youth in relevant program services, groups, and training programs.
- Work with staff, interns, and youth leaders on annual events and summer programming, including serving as staff advisor and mentor during Summer Leadership Institute and Camp Program.
- Act as staff advisor and mentor to train peer leaders during the annual summer leadership program, including residential camp week.
- Maintain all client and programmatic files, as required.
- Participate in weekly Youth Services staff meetings, departmental and Center staff meetings, and professional development trainings.
- Maintain ongoing attendance records, staff logs and progress reports for all direct service work, including all relevant data entry.
- Provide Program Coordinator with monthly, quarterly and annual reports related to direct service work, intake and assessment services, and career development programming for contract reporting.
- Work with other staff and consultants to plan and execute program evaluation components including processing evaluation data collection, tracking employment outcomes, and pre- and post-testing for outcome evaluations.
- Other duties as assigned.
Position Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree in Social Work or related field a plus.
- Possess a minimum of 3+ years of experience working with LGBTQ youth.
- Previous experience working in job development or career counseling.
- Group facilitation, training, and counseling skills; experience with specific evidence-based interventions (EBIs) with youth a plus.
- Knowledgeable in adolescent development, health and sex education, alcohol and substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, prevention and harm reduction.
- Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work with a wide range of personalities.
- Strong communication skills; bilingual preferred.
- Must be computer literate.
- A strong commitment to the mission of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center.