Vocational Education Specialist

Junction; Morwell; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Junction Support Services invites applications for a Vocational Education Specialist. Based across Morwell, Moe, Traralgon and Warragul, you will assess educational and vocational needs of young people in care and design tailored plans.

You will collaborate with ESCC Tutors, Residential Case Managers and Therapeutic Specialists to remove barriers to learning, provide culturally safe services, and ensure voices of young people are heard.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Education or Social Work or related discipline.
• Experience with children and young people who have complex needs.
• Strong communication and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct education, vocational and employment assessments.
• Develop individualised education and employment plans.
• Coordinate educational support with providers, parents/carers and care team.
• Lead multi-agency collaboration to address educational needs and pathways.
• Deliver culturally safe, inclusive services for diverse groups.
• Maintain documentation and reporting for programme activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Trauma-informed practice

Child-focused approach

Education

Tertiary qualification in Education or Social Work

Driver's license

Working with Children Check

Job description

Vocational Education Specialist

Junction Support Services (Junction) empowers people to achieve a brighter future by giving them access to essential services such as housing, education, health, trauma recovery, and disability support.

Junction is a Child Safe organisation guided by a strategic focus on early intervention and prevention projects designed to deliver better outcomes for communities by identifying and addressing issues before they escalated.

As an award-winning regional not-for-profit community service organisation, Junction strives to achieve our vision of building strong, thriving communities together while staying true to our purpose of empowering people to achieve a brighter future.

From our humble beginnings in 1989, Junction has grown from offering a single homelessness support program to now providing support to 2,500 people each year across 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) spanning Ovens Murray, Goulburn, Gippsland, and regional NSW.

Junction provides holistic and integrated service responses across the lifespan through advocacy, assertive outreach, case management, and therapeutic counselling services.

The Vocational Education Specialist will be a key member of the Junction team, working alongside ESCC Tutors, Residential Case Managers, and Therapeutic Specialists. The team provides specialised and nurturing services to children and young people in care, using tailored support approaches to meet individual needs.

Based within residential care homes, the role focuses on ensuring young people have access to and support for their chosen educational or vocational pathways. The Vocational Education Specialist will work to overcome barriers to success and collaborate with the Therapeutic Specialist and Care Team to address educational needs, using a proactive and collaborative approach with professionals and carers.

Position Objectives

1. Conduct assessments and create individualised education, vocational, and employment plans.
2. Lead care coordination efforts to engage teams and services in a consistent approach to educational support.
3. Collaborate with staff and the therapeutic team to build capacity and ensure young people's voices are heard.
4. Respond flexibly to changing needs, providing consistent educational support.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery

The Vocational Education Specialist will:

• Participate in intake processes and conduct educational assessments for children and young people in residential care, addressing barriers to education.
• Coordinate and plan educational support, liaising with education providers, parents/carers, and the care team.
• Lead multi-agency collaboration, ensuring a coordinated approach to educational needs and pathways.
• Deliver culturally safe and inclusive services, ensuring access for LGBTQIA+ individuals and those with diverse needs.
• Develop individualised education, vocational, and employment support plans, considering attachment and developmental needs.
• Lead care coordination, engaging with care teams and external services for a holistic response to meet educational goals.
• Work collaboratively with residential care and therapeutic staff to build capacity and promote the voices of children and young people.
• Stay updated on relevant legislative, policy, and theoretical developments.
• Ensure compliance with best practices, organisational policies, and quality assurance measures.
• Foster a positive organisational culture and contribute to capacity-building across partner organisations.
• Maintain a safe working environment, ensure regular reporting, and support research activities.

Performance Development

• Actively participate in supervision sessions with your supervisor.
• Proactively participate in professional development linked to the role.

The Organisation

• Implement Junction's goals through effective work practices.
• Adhere to policies, procedures, funding guidelines, and legal requirements.
• Follow protocols with external service providers.
• Comply with Occupational Health and Safety standards and manage risks.
• Contribute to daily operations and policy development.
• Uphold the relevant Code of Ethics.
• Maintain a strength-based approach aligned with organisational values.
• Promote team-building and effective communication within the organisation.
• Participate in Junction's after-hours service (roster basis), on an as-needed basis as determined by the ESCC Service Manager.

Administration

• Manage administrative tasks associated with the programme, including maintaining confidential client records, data collection, and action research information.
• Document activities, programme developments, and evaluations.
• Participate in program meetings, training sessions, organisational workshops, and other relevant meetings.
• Meet programme documentation standards and contribute to the development of organisational policies and practice guidelines.
• Develop relevant programme documentation in consultation with Senior Management.

Other

• Attend network and other meetings as directed by your supervisor.
• Perform additional duties as required by the organisation.

Mandatory Qualifications, Experience, and Qualities

• A tertiary qualification in Education, Social Work, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience working within or alongside the educational sector, and with young people who have multiple and complex needs, including those with lived experiences of abuse and neglect.
• Highly developed ability to provide guidance and advice to staff and other professionals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in child abuse and/or working with children who have experienced trauma.
• Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively, with the ability to negotiate and liaise with carers, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), other agencies, and the community.
• A thorough understanding of the complexity of the service system involved in providing services to statutory clients.
• A current driver's licence or equivalent.
• A current Working with Children Check or equivalent.

Selection Criteria

1. A relevant tertiary qualification in Education, Social Work, or another relevant field, along with appropriate experience for the role.
2. Demonstrated ability and experience in working within or alongside the educational sector, and with young people who have multiple and complex needs, including those with lived experiences of abuse and neglect.
3. Highly developed communication skills, with experience liaising with multiple professionals.
4. Proven ability to provide guidance and advice to other professionals.
5. Knowledge of the complexity of the service system involved in providing services to statutory clients.

Conditions of Employment

This is a full-time, ongoing position (subject to funding) with a workload of 1.0 FTE (76 hours) per fortnight, based across Morwell, Moe, Traralgon, and Warragul. The role will be operational Monday to Friday, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. Some work outside of regular hours may be required, and any additional hours worked will be accrued as Time in Lieu. There is no entitlement to paid overtime.

The position is classified under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award 2010, as a Social and Community Services Employee, Level 5, Paypoint 1. The starting salary will be determined based on qualifications and relevant experience and includes the option of salary sacrificing. The terms and conditions of employment will be in accordance with Junction Support Services' Enterprise Agreement (2017).

Junction Support Services is a child-safe organisation and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from First Nations peoples, individuals with disability or lived experience of disability, and people of all cultural backgrounds, gender identities and sexual orientations. We value the unique perspectives and contributions that diversity brings to our workplace and the communities we serve.