Employment Counsellor – Bridge to Work

YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth; Halifax; On-site; CAD 43,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

YMCA membership

Y at Home access

Childcare discounts

Vacation entitlement

Benefits package and pension

Wellbeing and counselling services

Job summary

YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth is seeking an Employment Counsellor within the Immigrant Services team in Halifax to support internationally trained professionals pursuing roles in early childhood education.

You will recruit participants, facilitate pre-employment workshops, build partnerships with childcare providers for paid placements, and provide ongoing support and guidance to help newcomers secure meaningful work.

Qualifications

• Postsecondary degree or diploma in Employment Counseling, Early Childhood Education or related field.
• Experience with diverse cultural backgrounds and positive outcomes.
• Strong facilitation and recruitment skills.
• Experience with Employment Training programs or apprenticeship systems.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Outlook, Excel).
• Excellent English communication, written and verbal.
• Willingness to conduct site visits and have reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Implement Bridge to Work program per guidelines.
• Build relationships with participants, employers and community agencies.
• Recruit potential candidates for the program.
• Assess employment and education needs to determine eligibility.
• Develop, deliver and coordinate pre-employment training sessions.
• Work with childcare providers to secure paid placements.
• Provide ongoing support and monitor client progress.
• Maintain accurate client files and documentation.
• Attend workshops, trainings and staff meetings as required.
• Make referrals to other programs as needed.
• Take initiative and work with limited supervision.

Skills

Facilitation skills

Recruitment skills

Networking abilities

Intake assessments

Independent & team work

MS Office (Word/Excel/Outlook)

English communication

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Reliable transportation

Education

Postsecondary degree or diploma in Employment Counseling

Early Childhood Education

Social Services background

Tools

MS Office

Outlook

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Location: YMCA Immigrant Services
Program: Employment and Education
Position Status: Full-Time, Contract until March 31, 2028
Compensation: $43,000 – $46,000

There is potential inside all of us – we all have it inus to shine.

Every charity exists to help solve a problem – our charityexists to help solve many problems, from childcare shortages, social isolation,mental health issues, access to wellness, and more. Today, our network isspread across 100+ program locations in HRM and the province, meeting the mosturgent needs of our communities in mental health supports, accessiblechildcare, supporting an increasing immigrant population, safe spaces for youthto grow and lead, helping to navigate a precarious labour market, deliveringwellness programming for all, and creating community for isolated older adults.

We give people the tools, encouragement, and safe space todiscover their inner strength. When they know someone's in their corner, withunconditional support, they realize they can do more than they thoughtpossible. It's your support, expertise, and guidance that helps people ignitetheir full potential and shape our neighbourhoods into vibrant and healthycommunities.

With us at their side, they can Shine On.

As part of your total compensation:

• Receivea complimentary YMCA membership to our Health & Fitness facilities
• Accessto Y at Home, where you can participate in fitness programs from your ownhome
• Discountson YMCA childcare and camp programs
• 3weeks' Vacation entitlement and paid wellness days
• Comprehensivebenefits package and pension
• Complimentarywellbeing and counselling services

About the Role

Reporting to the Program Coordinator of Employment andEducation Program, the Employment Counsellor will assist internationallytrained newcomer professionals in working towards employment in the field ofEarly Childhood Education.

In this position, the successful candidate will beresponsible for the recruitment and selection of participants, implementing andfacilitating pre-employment workshops and training related to the childcarefield, as well as establishing partnerships with local childcare providers tosecure paid work placements for the participants of the program. This rolerequires a dynamic individual with experience working with diverse communities,strong facilitation and recruitment skills, and a passion for working with andempowering newcomers.

In this role, you will:

• Implementand facilitate the Bridge to Work program, according to program guidelines
• Buildrelationships with participants, employers and community agencies
• Outreachand execute the recruitment of potential candidates for the program
• Assessclients' employment and education needs through various assessment toolsto determine eligibility and acceptance into the program
• Develop,facilitate, deliver and co-ordinate pre-employment training sessionsn
• Workwith childcare providers to secure paid work placements for participants
• Provideongoing support to participants, and childcare providers through regularphone or electronic contact
• Conductsite visits to monitor placements, job performance and client trainingplan progress
• Provideeffective follow-up and support based on the clientele needs
• Maintainaccurate, up-to-date client files and documentation in client database
• Assistswith administrative support, as required
• Attendworkshops, training, conferences, and staff meetings, as required
• Makeclient referrals to other community programs and services, as needed
• TakeInitiative, solve problems and work with limited supervision

Education and Skills Qualifications:

• Postsecondary degree or diploma in Employment Counseling, Early ChildhoodEducation, Social Services Work and/or possess equivalent education andwork experience
• Demonstratedexperience working with participants of various cultural and racialbackgrounds with positive outcomes
• Demonstratedfacilitation skills
• Strongemployer recruitment skills with well-developed networking abilities
• Experiencein conducting thorough intakes and assessments
• Self-motivatedand able to work well independently and in a team
• Experience& knowledge of Employment Training programs and/or the apprenticeshipsystem
• Experiencein job development/marketing and employment counselling
• Advancedskills utilizing all Microsoft Office Applications including Word,Outlook, Power Point and Excel
• ExcellentEnglish communication skills, written and verbal
• Knowledgeof childcare policies an asset
• Excellentinterpersonal and written communication skills
• Strongorganization and time-management skills
• Thisposition requires conducting site visits to monitor placements; therefore,a reliable method of transportation on a regular basis is required.

Please note that all successful candidates are required toprovide:

• CriminalRecord Check, Vulnerable Sector Check, and Child Abuse Registry Check(less than 6 months old), if 18 years of age or older
• AttendChild Safeguarding Training upon hire

Please note, background checks are reviewed on an individualbasis – offenses, if any, are based on role and Child Safeguardingrequirements, and may not eliminate candidates from employment at our YMCA.

At the YMCA, we are committed to fostering a diverse,inclusive, and equitable workplace where every team member feels valued,respected, and empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. Webelieve that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences enrich ourorganization, enabling us to better serve our community and achieve ourmission.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applicationsfrom individuals of all backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, People ofColour, racially diverse, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, gender-diverse people, peoplewith diverse abilities, members of ethnic minorities and faith groups,foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

If you require accommodation during the hiring process,please inform us in advance to arrange reasonable and appropriateaccommodation.