Employment Specialist/Participant Coach - Youth Employment Services

About the role

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT) exists to break the cycle of poverty and inequity through education, job training, and employment. Our vision is to strengthen the workforce by serving as a bridge to economic and educational opportunity for individuals in underserved communities. Through our skills-based training, educational services, and direct job placement efforts, we build upward economic mobility for out-of-school and unemployed youth and adults and provide the skills necessary to gain a competitive edge in the job market. Finally, OBT maintains a commitment to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into our organizational DNA. The Youth Employment Program is a career pathways program for youth and young adults ages 16-24 that provides work readiness support, occupational skills training, and employment services, along with supportive services such as High School Equivalency (HSE) classes, paid internships, comprehensive case management, and access to post-secondary education and sector-based credential training. The Employment Specialist/Participant Coach will complete contractually required enrollment steps, a comprehensive assessment and corresponding service planning. This work will be done in collaboration with each youth participant to elevate their experiences, their strengths, their interests, and their voice. While in the program, each participant will meet with this employee regularly to work on barriers to program persistence and success, including the provision and follow through with referrals to other service providers. This employee will also complete all necessary data entry related to this work and support the larger team with other program activities, such as outreach and recruitment, workshops, post-exit placements, etc. Once the participant completes the program, the employee will complete the exit process in the funder‑mandated system.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of approximately 25 participants, providing individualized coaching and support to help participants achieve their academic, career, and employment goals.
• Conduct comprehensive intake and assessments to determine participant needs, strengths, career interests, and program eligibility.
• Develop individualized service and employment plans in collaboration with participants that outline academic milestones, career pathways, and employment objectives.