Career Planner (Youth Division)

Position Title                                                                                               Effective April 26 2023
Career Planner, Youth Division (Fulltime)
 
Position Objective
This position recruits, counsels, trains, and places clients in vocational choices that lead to employment. Career planners assist in the advancement of skills, abilities, and interests of each client in order to attain an independent and self-sufficient lifestyle. This person will be assigned to the Youth Services Division and will be responsible for recruitment, assessment, case management, and placement of youth clients ages 14-24. Contribute to a healthy, safe, and inclusive work environment for all and support the agency equal opportunity and inclusion efforts.
 
Supervision
This position reports to the Client Services Manager.
 
Essential Tasks and Responsibilities
The following duties and responsibilities that have been identified as being essential to this position include, but not limited to:

• Assesses preliminary information (e.g., client history, aptitudes, and interests & current labor market data) to prepare for smooth, open vocational counseling sessions with clients.
• Recognizes the need for further testing and provide access to that testing in order to lead clients to better vocational decisions.
• Facilitates assessments of aptitudes and interests, and interprets test results.
• Proficiently counsels eligible clients, in group and individual sessions, in order to develop realistic vocational goals that place clients in the labor market as quickly as possible.
• Maintains good working relationships with community resource agencies in order to facilitate clients’ ability to reach their vocational goals in employment.
• Designs, develops, organizes, and presents activities such as workshops, classes, on-the job-training, apprenticeships, and seminars in order to improve skill attainment and work performance.
• Participates as a member of a self-directed work team in planning activities and in the delivery of programs in order to insure comprehensive and integrated services to eligible clients.
• Develops professional skills through continuing education workshops and networking with other counseling professionals in order to remain current in practices, tools, materials, and data necessary to provide vocational counseling, as well as recommend training and professional needs of the team.

• Bilingual abilities preferred in either Somali or Spanish. At minimum, the ability to understand and to make oneself understood to all Somali and/or Spanish speaking individuals. Prefer to be bilingual and able to read, write and speak.
• Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures related to career counseling and guidance.
• Ability to apply knowledge of the labor market to the background and experiences of clients.
• Ability to recruit new clients, using various techniques such as cold calling and developing business relationships.
• Ability to discuss sensitive issues and develop trusting relationships with clients.
• Knowledge of individual assessment and assessment tools.
• Ability to design, develop, organize, and administer training.
• Ability to work in a team as well as independently.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients and team members.
• Knowledge of and skills in the use of computers and programs, especially Microsoft Office Suite.