Youth Career Development Counselor
Northern Essex Community College

Category:: Career Services (MassHire)
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Department:: MassHire - 9800
Locations:: Lawrence, MA
Posted:: Sep 13, 2024
Closes:: Open Until Filled
Type:: Full-time
Ref. No.:: 297555
Position ID:: 181049

Job Description:

POSITION: Full-Time Youth Career Development Counselor (Career Development Counselor): MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center (MVCC); 420 Common Street, Lawrence; MCCC/MTA Unit Professional Position; 37.5 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm (Occasional evening hours. Hours may be adjusted and compensated in alignment with contractual guidelines with prior notification per the MCCC contract); Pay Grade 4; Grant Funded Position

SUMMARY: The Youth Career Development Counselor coordinates and provides career development services for youth in the Skill Up Initiative Program. Skill Up participants are youth, approximately age 16-21 years old, who are in the custody of the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and committed as juvenile delinquents or youthful offenders awaiting judicial action. The purpose of this position is to guide participants to explore career options, learn positive work behaviors, and enter employment that offers potential for future advancement on a career pathway. The individual in this position must possess knowledge of the developmental needs of individuals in this age range and strategies to support their success; including appropriate levels of empathy and flexibility balanced with structure and guidance.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Specific duties for this position include:

• Implement the Skill Up. Program
• Maintain an average caseload of twenty (20) Skill Up participants. Communicate, at minimum, weekly with community participants, monthly with committed participants, and provide constant career, employment, and supportive counseling.
• Ensure that youth/caseworkers are in possession of all documents required for program eligibility and enrollment; includes acceptable includes acceptable ID, social security number, birth certificate, work permit if under the age of 18, and bank account.
• Complete participant enrollment procedures, including: submission of RTE (Request to Employ) in Hirezon; ensuring that youth complete W-4 and I-9 in the system and provide bank account information; informing NECC HR of participant start date and position; and submitting participant birth certificate and ID to NECC HR.
• Data enter information into the Commonwealth Corporation database.
• Create and maintain participant case files with application, eligibility, and referral documents.
• Leverage career center business services representatives (BSRs) connections with employers to obtain subsidized work experiences and unsubsidized employment for program participants.
• Ensure that worksite agreements are developed and in place for all worksites; educate employers about their role and responsibilities as a Skill Up worksite; update worksite agreements annually.
• Ensure that Child Labor Laws and Grievance procedures are posted and adhered to at each worksite.
• Monitor worksites to ensure that youth assigned to the worksite are performing tasks as stated in the worksite agreement and that adequate supervision is being provided.
• Obtain electronic timesheets from worksites; review for accuracy and approve; forward to NECC payroll.
• Participate in weekly meetings with DYS case workers to discuss youth issues, successes, revocations, and new commits.
• Participate in monthly meetings with Commonwealth Corporation, DYS State Director of Community Services, MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center Executive Director, and DYS District Managers to discuss participants' progress and other program issues.
• Frequent travel in the Merrimack Valley, and occasional travel throughout eastern Massachusetts required.
• Reliable transportation (access to car) is required.
• Travel to meet youth at hardware and software secure facilities as well as their homes while under home confinement.
• Identify and prepare a monthly report on participant successes.
• Provide information for proposals for program funding.
• The Classification Specification is available at: https://www.mass.edu/shared/classificationspecs/specsmccc/Career Development Counselor - HB 1109.doc

Requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A bachelor's degree in education, psychology, social work, or a related discipline
• A minimum of two (2) years professional experience working with youth in the juvenile justice system
• Understanding of the developmental needs of individuals in the 16-21 years age range
• Knowledge of strategies to support the career development success of youth in the target age range
• Problem-solving skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Transportation and driver's license

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual (Spanish/English)
• Experience working with and supporting a culturally diverse population

BACKGROUND CHECK: Candidates will be required to pass a CORI and SORI check as a condition of employment.

Additional Information:

GRADE AND SALARY: Anticipated salary range is $58,394.00 to $63,697.00 (MCCC Pay Grade 4 with a Bachelor's degree) annually with complete fringe benefit package. Complete fringe benefit package including competitive health insurance, free dental insurance, basic life insurance, long-term disability insurance, paid sick, vacation and personal leave, educational benefits for employee/spouse/dependents, and excellent retirement benefits. Actual salary calculated in compliance with MCCC/MTA classification system. Official transcripts will be required at the time of hire.

ANTICIPATED START DATE: ASAP

Application Instructions:

TO APPLY: To be considered for this position click on the "Apply Now" button, you will be prompted to set up a new account or login to an existing account. You will be able to upload the following required documents for consideration:

• Cover Letter, describing your qualifications and/or how you may be best suited for the role
• Resume/CV

Review of applications will begin 5 business days from the posting date and will continue until the position is filled.

**Please note that finalist candidates will be asked to provide contact information for three (3) professional references, including current supervisor (or at least two previous supervisors)

Northern Essex Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statues and college policies. The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual violence shall be referred to the College's Affirmative Action Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Elizabete Trelegan (Assistant Director of Human Resources, B-219,978-556-3928/ etrelegan@necc.mass.edu), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Northern Essex Community College will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Prospective employees are encouraged to review the College's Annual Security Report (ASR), in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which can be found on the disclosure page of the College's website at: http://www.necc.mass.edu/clery