Youth Engagement Specialist

The LSWA Youth Engagement Specialist provides comprehensive case management and advocacy services to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) youth program participants seeking employment and/or career and skills training.

The WIOA Youth Program delivers comprehensive youth services that focus on assisting eligible, out-of-school youth, with one or more barriers to employment, to prepare for employment and postsecondary educational opportunities; to attain educational and /or skills training credentials; and to secure employment with career/promotional opportunities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Connects with community partners to recruit and screen potential participants based on eligibility criteria
• Helps orient new participants into the program by reviewing program expectations, eligibility, and documentation.
• Conducts participant initial screening and comprehensive assessment of job readiness, strengths, barriers and long-term and short-term goals.

• Creates and updates Individual Service Strategies (ISS) for each participant based on objective assessment results and participants goals.
• Provides program services to participants based on the WIOA 14 Program Elements.
• Documents provision of services, obtains all supporting documentation, and accurately enters all services/documentation into State database.
• Completes and submits case notes for each participant in active and/or follow-up status.

• Provides participants with supportive services to reduce barriers to employment and ensure accurate documentation of support services.
• Helps participants improve employability levels through skills development, resume assistance, and interviewing practice.
• Provides outreach to businesses in the community in order to develop employment, internship and work experience opportunities for participants.
• Provides follow-up services to participants for at least 12 months following active program participation.

• Complete all assigned professional development trainings.

Supervisory Responsibilities
This position does not have any supervision responsibilities.

Competencies
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Intellectual

• Problem Solving
  • Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner
  • Gathers and analyzes information skillfully
  • Develops alternative solutions
  • Works well in group problem solving situations
  • Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics
• Project Management
  • Develops project plans
  • Coordinates projects
  • Communicates changes and progress
  • Complete projects on time and budget
• Technical Skills
  • Assesses own strengths and weaknesses
  • Pursues training and development opportunities
  • Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills
  • Shares expertise with others

Interpersonal

• Customer Service
  • Manages difficult or emotional customer situations
  • Responds promptly to customer needs
  • Meets commitments
• Interpersonal Skills
  • Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming
  • Maintains confidentiality
  • Listens to others without interrupting
  • Keeps emotions under control
  • Remains open to others ideas and tries new things
• Oral Communication
  • Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations
  • Listens and gets clarification
  • Responds well to questions
  • Participates in meetings

• Written Communication
  • Writes clearly and informatively
  • Edits work for spelling and grammar
  • Varies writing style to meet needs
  • Able to read and interpret written information
• Teamwork
  • Balances team and individual responsibilities
  • Exhibits objectivity and openness to others views
  • Gives and welcomes feedback
  • Contributes to building a positive team spirit
  • Puts success of team above own interest
  • Supports everyones efforts to succeed

Leadership

• Visionary Leadership
  • Displays passion and optimism
  • Inspires respect and trust
• Leadership
  • Exhibits confidence in self and others
  • Inspires and motivates others to perform well
  • Accepts feedback from others
  • Gives appropriate recognition to others
• Quality Management
  • Looks for ways to improve and promote quality
  • Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness

Organization

• Business Acumen
  • Understands business implications of decisions
  • Aligns work with strategic goals
• Cost Consciousness
  • Works within approved budget
  • Develops and implements cost saving measures
  • Conserves organization resources
• Diversity
  • Demonstrates knowledge of EEO Policy
  • Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences
  • Promotes a harassment-free environment
• Ethics
  • Treats people with respect
  • Keeps commitments
  • Inspires the trust of others
  • Works with integrity and ethically
  • Upholds organizational values
• Organizational Support
  • Follows policies and procedures
  • Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time.
  • Supports organizations goals and values
  • Benefits organization through outside activities
  • Supports affirmative action and respects diversity

Self-Management

• Judgement
  • Displays willingness to make decisions
  • Exhibits sound and accurate judgement
  • Supports and explains reasoning for decisions
  • Includes appropriate people in decision-making process
  • Makes timely decisions
• Motivation
  • Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles
  • Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals
• Planning/Organizing
  • Prioritizes and plans work activities
  • Uses time efficiently
  • Plans for additional resources
  • Sets goals and objectives
• Professionalism
  • Approaches others in a tactful manner
  • Reacts well under pressure
  • Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position
  • Accepts responsibility for own actions
  • Follows through on commitments
• Quality
  • Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
  • Looks for ways to improve and promote quality
  • Applies feedback to improve performance
  • Monitors own work to ensure quality
• Safety and Security
  • Observes safety and security procedures
  • Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines
  • Reports potentially unsafe conditions
  • Uses equipment and materials properly
• Adaptability
  • Adapts to changes in the work environment
  • Manages competing demands
  • Changes approach or method to best fit the situation
  • Able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events
• Attendance/Punctuality
  • Is consistently at work and on time
  • Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent
  • Arrives at meetings and appointments on time
• Dependability
  • Follows instructions, responds to management direction
  • Takes responsibility for own actions
  • Keeps commitments
  • Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals.
  • Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan
• Initiative
  • Volunteers readily
  • Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities
  • Asks for and offers help when needed
• Innovation
  • Displays original thinking and creativity
  • Meets challenges with resourcefulness
  • Generates suggestions for improving work
  • Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others attention

Qualifications

Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be afforded to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to three month related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Language Skills

• Intermediate skills- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Mathematical Skills

• Basic skills Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

• Intermediate skills Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills

• Database software, Internet, Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be afforded to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Stand Occasionally
• Walk Occasionally
• Sit - Regularly
• Use hands to finger, handle or feel Regularly
• Reach with hands and arms Regularly
• Climb or balance Rarely
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl Rarely
• Talk or hear Regularly
• Lift weight or exerts force
  • Up to 10 pounds Regularly
  • Up to 25 pounds Occasionally
  • Up to 50 pounds Rarely
• Physical Demands
  • Close vision
  • Distance vision
  • Color vision
  • Peripheral vision
  • Depth perception
  • Ability to adjust focus

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be afford to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Noise level in the work environment is usually
  • Quiet conditions
  • Moderate noise

“We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law”.