PROGRAM: Employment Ontario
COMPANY: Skills for Change
LOCATION: 10 Gateway Blvd
REPORTS TO: Supervisor, Employment Services
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Permanent (Union)
HOURS: 35 hours per week (Monday- Friday)
RATE: $28.22
START DATE: Immediately
GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:
With 38 years of operations, Skills for Change is a highly respected non-profit charity with a province wide reputation for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. We offer a range of accelerated programs including mentoring, employment, settlement, language training together with specialized programs for skilled trades, women, and youth. We have 5 locations across the GTA and serve 16,000 clients annually.
PROGRAM NATURE AND SCOPE:
Employment Ontario (EO) offers a range of resources, supports and service components to respond to the employment needs of individuals and the skilled labour needs of employers, and to help individuals on a path to higher skill training and employment. The primary responsibilities of this high-response, people centred Employment Counsellor position include assisting unemployed individuals to develop individualized employment plans and to provide them with 1:1 support to ensure employed outcomes.
The Employment Counsellor will work collaboratively with the employment services support team to develop and maintain current documentation and active file management that achieves the highest standards in employment practices and documentation. They will be responsible for the overall tracking and maintenance of the client’s progress and will contribute greatly to reporting milestones of their achievements. An important part of this role will be to work with ES team members to support the client directly with a strong focus on the continuous individual development towards obtaining and retaining employment, while contributing to the overall targets and goals of the organization.
PURPOSE: To support individuals in their path to skill training and employment by providing information and referrals, individual employment counselling and skills assessment, career action plans and workshops related to job search tools and techniques.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
◉ Conduct intakes of potential clients to determine eligibility, needs and suitability and which service components would be the most effective in assisting individuals to meet their career goals.
◉ Provide employment counselling to assist with career direction, job search and job maintenance issues.
◉ Handle clients follow ups, retention tracking and case management tracking
◉ Develop measurable and time-specific Employment Service Plans that note clear achievable goals; build on or match skills, interests and needs identified by employers or in relation to labour market information; identify steps to reach the goals and methods for monitoring progress; show evidence of individual ownership and are updated as steps are accomplished, skills or knowledge acquired
◉ Adaptation and delivery of job search workshop curriculum and modifying materials to meet the needs of the clients’
◉ Deliver employment preparation workshops to clients on resume/cover letter, Interview, and work professionalism
◉ Deliver group information sessions and conduct individual assessment sessions
◉ Present Employment Ontario Program to other Skills for Change bridging and settlement programs and register clients to EO
◉ Help clients with their second career application
◉ Support clients with government incentive, paid and unpaid placements
◉ Research and update existing labour market information and community resources on a regular basis
◉ Provide clients with appropriate information and referrals to meet their training and employment needs
◉ Conduct individual employment counselling, skills assessment, and client service delivery plans
◉ Maintain client case management files, follow up with clients and update required statistical reports
◉ Perform agency outreach in the community on a regular basis and present Skills for Change programs and services
◉ Assist with individual or group intake and orientation when required
◉ Participate in organizing networking events, guest speaker events and other events as needed
◉ Perform program outreach to other community organizations for program promotion, client referral and to provide itinerant services
◉ Provide information and assistance to clients using the program resources (computers, books, fax, photocopiers)
◉ Participate in the agency distribution, collection, and analysis of participant surveys and other evaluation and tracking procedures
◉ Work as part of the agency, EO team to ensure smooth delivery and coordination of services to clients
◉ Participate in team meetings, agency meetings and committee meetings as required.
◉ Provide backup support as required across EO locations
◉ Maintain positive professional relationships and communication links with public and other relevant community resources
◉ Evaluate the effectiveness of service delivery and present solutions to enhance services on an ongoing basis
◉ Handle additional tasks as required by the Employment Ontario leadership team
◉ Assess client need for Employer services working with Employer Engagement team, provide rationale and make referral, checking on progress.
◉ Remaining current with the City of Toronto labour market trends
◉ Ensure client appointment information and activity is tracked on CaMS system in timely manner meeting SfC standards
SKILLS, EDUCATION & ATTRIBUTES:
◉ Post-secondary degree/diploma in the Social Sciences with preference to graduates of an employment counselling program
◉ Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office products and the ability to use a variety of computer programs
◉ Knowledge working with data bases like Salesforce and CaMS specially entering client’s information and generating reports
◉ 3 years of experience in 1:1 employment counselling and group facilitation role working with newcomers, women, indigenous, racialized, and other diverse groups in Employment Ontario or other employment programs
◉ A minimum of 3 years’ work experience in employment program delivery as counsellor or facilitator with preference giving to those working in employment services such as Ontario Works, Employment Ontario, ODSP or Settlement Employment
◉ Demonstrated ability to develop goals and action plans with participants
◉ Excellent facilitation and employment counselling skills
◉ Excellent verbal, written communication and presentation skills
◉ Proficiency in MS Office, ability to deliver PowerPoint presentations
◉ Advanced Knowledge of Employment Ontario Employment Service guidelines
◉ Advanced knowledge of other Employment Ontario agencies, programs, and services
◉ Advanced knowledge of local community agencies
◉ Knowledge of Employment Counselling principles
◉ Advanced knowledge of Employment Standards, Human Rights and Ontario Labour Law.
◉ Motivational techniques to encourage clients to meet goals and development milestones
◉ Strong interpersonal and client focused skills as well as a positive attitude towards change Initiative, energy, and persistence to complete tasks as well as excellent time management and teamwork skills
◉ Problem solving skills and resourcefulness in meeting clients’ support needs
◉ Ability to speak additional languages an asset
◉ Ability to workday time, some evening and weekend hours
PLEASE SEND YOUR APPLICATION TO: hr@skillsforchange.org
Skills for Change provides learning and training opportunities for immigrants, refugees and equity seeking groups to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community to persons with disabilities to newcomers to Canada (including refugees) to Indigenous peoples to members of a visible minority to children or youth to seniors to the LGBTQ2 community.
Skills for Change offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in each stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise if you require accommodation. This document is available in alternate format on request.
We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.