Employment & Education Navigator

Description

Job Summary:

Cocoon House’s WIOA Title I Youth Program -SnoCo Connect assists WIOA-eligible youth and young adults ages 14-24 with multiple barriers to success in the labor force and need additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure and retain employment. Employment & Education Navigators utilize a mobile service delivery model, providing services virtually, in-person, and over the phone throughout Snohomish County and collaborating with SnoCo Connect partners to coordinate services and resources for opportunity youth and young people. 

The Employment & Education Navigator will work one-on-one with participants throughout their enrollment, helping to identify and navigate young people to employment, education, and training pathways that lead to self-sufficiency. The Employment & Education Navigator will focus on providing education and employment support that is responsive to and informed by the realities and needs of program participants and accommodates the barriers and challenges faced by young people.

The Employment & Education Navigator will also play a significant role in developing best practices for the position, working with the WIOA Youth Program team to connect youth and young adults to high school completion programs, employment, education, training opportunities, and community resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Will maintain a caseload as determined by the Program Director, ensuring services are provided to qualifying applicants and all programmatic requirements are met and documented through timely, detailed case notes.
• Engage in extensive mobile outreach and case management throughout Snohomish County to find and engage WIOA-eligible youth.
• Utilize motivational interviewing, Positive Youth Development, and trauma-informed best practices to engage and motivate youth and young adults.
• Provide tailored employment services to participants including employment counseling, employment preparation and training such as resume and interview skills, and support in placement in training programs or jobs. 
• Assist youth in finding employment and education, including intensive assistance with the search and application process.
• Provide comprehensive employability assessment for all Employment & Training (E&T) referrals and collaborate with partners to ensure the handoff is successful. 
• Maintains complete, accurate, and timely case notes in hard files and ETO database.
• Maintain ongoing coordination and communication with Family Support Coaches and partners regarding the delivery of each participant employment, training, and education services.
• Monitor participant goals and objectives, and revise as appropriate.
• Ensure all monthly and annual goals are on track for completion, notifying the Program Director of any potential issues in meeting these measurable outcomes. Maintain program tracking system files.
• Support Program Director in grant management including tracking and reporting Prepare related documents and reports.
• Participate in program development.
• Refer and collaborate with area Employment & Training agencies.
• Build relationships and maintain positive relationships internally and externally to meet the needs of our participants.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision health options with employer contribution
• 403(b) retirement plan with agency match
• 21 days PTO accrual in first year
• 10 agency-recognized holidays
• Multilingual pay differential opportunities
• Paid training & testing: CPR/first aid, food handler's permit, blood borne pathogens, abuse awareness, TB testing, and additional in-depth practical trainings.

Requirements

 Qualifications

• Experience working with youth with many barriers to employment including youth who are out of school, low income, justice-involved, homeless, current or former foster care, English Language Learners, single parents or pregnant, BIPOC communities and/ or youth of TANF grant households.
• Demonstrable knowledge and professional experience in the employment and education fields.
• Bi-lingual applicants strongly encouraged to apply.
• Flexibility to adjust the schedule to meet client needs, including working the occasional weekend or evening.
• Applicants with lived experience strongly encouraged to apply.
• Open commitment to serving, supporting, accepting, and collaborating with individuals of all races, ages, genders, backgrounds, political opinions and beliefs, sexual orientations, criminal histories, citizenship or marital statuses, and religious beliefs. Special consideration is given to applicants with a demonstrated history of supporting and advocating for the LGBTQ community, women, people of color, immigrants, or other historically marginalized or persecuted groups.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite.
• Ability to manage and prioritize competing demands and tasks.
• Ability to do high-quality data entry and compliance.
• Cocoon House will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified persons with disabilities if requested.