Brown Consulting Group Looking for Employment Counsellor at Toronto, Ontario, Canada Full Time

ABOUT YWCA CANADA

Our client the YWCA Canada is a leading voice for women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse people in the country. For over 150 years, they’ve been at the forefront of a movement: to fight gender-based violence, build affordable housing and advocate for affordable childcare and workplace equity. They work to advance gender equity by responding to urgent needs in communities, through national advocacy and grassroots initiatives. Local YWCAs invest over $258 million annually to support over 330,000 individuals across the nation. Today, they engage young leaders, diverse communities, and corporate partners to achieve our vision of a safe and equitable Canada for all. YWCA Canada is part of a global movement, World YWCA, working towards gender equity in more than 120 countries and 20,000 local communities.

ROLE SUMMARY

This position reports to the Director, Partnership Development and Employment Strategies and works collaboratively with other staff on the team, within their member associations, with external employment partners, and cohort participants within our programs. The Employment Counsellor is responsible for supporting the National Office and Member Associations in the successful delivery of reskilling programs and building and maintaining strong relationships with employers. The incumbent will also participate in the University of Ottawa-PDI Advanced Certificate training on Tuesday to Friday mornings/3hrs, from 9am to 12pm, starting October to March. Attending the course will help this incumbent to support program participants, observe the group dynamic, and create adequate support system for program participants to succeed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct intake meetings to gather client/participant information to assess current skill/ability/education and employment readiness. Assess current strategies and tools (resumes/cover letters/portfolios and related materials) connected to their job search.
• Develop a job search strategy with clear steps, actions, and goals for each client/participant, provide advice and coaching through each stage and throughout the reskilling program.
• Assist clients/participants in identifying and overcoming barriers to employment. Focus on expanding their options as it relates to industry, position, and career opportunity.
• Liaise with member associations and resource programs to support clients/participants as they access and secure plans for childcare, transportation, housing, technical resources, etc.
• Design and deliver facilitation of pre-employment workshops (topics include but are not limited to: resume and cover letter development, networking, interview preparation, social media utilization, labour market information, etc.).
• Assist clients/participants as they strengthen and evolve job search materials.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with employers and community resources.
• Conduct outreach with employers to create and identify developmental or employment opportunities and placements.
• Maintain job bank for opportunities and placements and maintain client/participant records including skills/experience inventory, contact information, observations, follow-up notes, progress reports.
• Refer clients/participants to relevant employment or development opportunities, training courses, intern/coop placements, coaches, mentors etc.
• Work with the team to document and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data, findings, and outcomes. Participate in writing reports to document program outcomes, and support funding and grant requirements.
• Develop evaluation and measurement tools and practices to monitor program effectiveness and impact and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Perform follow up with clients/participants to monitor the success of the program.
• Create opportunities to deepen ties between staff, communities, and our partners to advance our mission of economic and gender equality within the workplace.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in a similar role, providing employment counselling support and utilizing job search techniques to identify employment opportunities.
• Post-secondary degree or diploma in the areas of Human Services, Social Work, Business, or Career Counselling or a related field.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience coaching, and mentoring others in a program environment. A strong ability to build rapport quickly, motivate and facilitate the development of others.
• Advanced ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Strong level of emotional intelligence and ability to listen to others.
• Strong networking skills and extended network and knowledge of employers in a range of sectors.
• Experience facilitating workshops, focus groups, action labs etc.
• Demonstrated experience in coaching, building partnerships, coordinating mutually beneficial opportunities with stakeholders and participants.
• Extensive knowledge of the Canadian labour market and its trends, Canadian workplace practices, job search strategies and techniques.
• Experience working with employers to create and identify employment and developmental opportunities.
• Familiarity with community social services programs and resources.
• Experience developing facilitation materials, tools, resources, and presentations.
• Experience working with equity-seeking groups in Canada.
• Strong, thoughtful communication skills (oral, written, and facilitation).
• Experience analyzing quantitative and qualitative data for reporting. Experience in quantitative methods and/or participatory research is an asset.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, collaborative, and cultural inclusiveness skills. Experience working with diverse populations; understanding of immigrants, women, and under/unemployed individuals; familiarity with gender equity issues and anti-racism strategies.
• Experience applying a gender-based lens and trauma informed practices within programming.
• Demonstrated professionalism and ability to handle confidential and sensitive material with tact and diplomacy, exercise discretion and judgement at all times. Knowledge of privacy legislation.
• Strong computer skills (MS Office, internet, database management) and familiarity with social media.
• Demonstrated records management, evaluation, and report writing skills.
• Ability to demonstrate a sense of stability, flexibility, and openness when working with others during times of change.
• Ability to work and make decisions independently, must demonstrate a high level of initiative.
• Fully bilingual (written and orally) in French would be an asset.

Why work at YWCA Canada?

• A collegial work environment that actively encourages collaboration and work-life balance  
• A generous benefits package that includes a 3-week base paid vacation, 18 paid healthcare days, health and dental coverage and a supplemental health spending account
• Our office is closed between Christmas and New Year, which adds another week off to spend with loved ones
• A hybrid and flexible work culture that takes into account family responsibilities, travel time, job duties, and many other factors 
• We are always exploring ways to keep the workload manageable, prioritizing rest, welcoming new ideas of looking at modern ways of working and making our office a top employer