Apprenticeship Placement Coordinator

Music City Construction Careers; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

MC3 in Nashville, TN, is seeking an Apprenticeship Placement Coordinator to own graduate placement from end to end, building relationships across Nashville's building trades and creating individualized placement plans with every graduate while advocating with union halls and contractors until placement is secured.

This relationship-forward role establishes MC3 as a trusted presence in Nashville's trades community, guiding participants through program milestones, delivering the Apprenticeship

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, counseling, case management, or a related field.
• Experience working directly with clients in a social services, case management, or workforce development program.
• Experience mentoring, training, or supporting others, and a track record of working well on a team.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain deep relationships in the Nashville trades community
• Represent MC3 at Building Trades Council meetings, TVA Labor Management Trust meetings, pre-job meetings, and other workforce convenings
• Develop genuine relationships with union business managers, organizers, dispatchers, contractors, and apprenticeship training centers
• Stay current on which trades are hiring, dispatch timelines, and what each trade looks for in candidates
• Meet 1:1 with every participant in both our school and community programs to understand their goals, interests, and barriers well before graduation
• Instruct approximately 50% of our community-based Apprenticeship Readiness Program. This program is three weeks long and runs three times per year. You will deliver curriculum sections in the community program, including career exploration and apprenticeship and construction readiness topics
• Help recruit and interview incoming participants alongside program staff
• Lead a post-graduation planning meeting with each graduate to map their best-fit trades and build a concrete, individualized action plan
• Connect graduates with resources that remove barriers to employment, including transportation, childcare, and housing support
• Advocate actively: make direct calls on graduates' behalf, write reference letters, share real-time hiring updates, coach graduates through interviews, and accompany them to appointments when it helps
• Stay in regular contact with graduates for at least a year after program completion, tracking their progress and career growth
• Plan and host two annual alumni events (summer cookout and holiday party) that build peer mentorship and job referral networks
• Keep alumni engaged and connected as a resource for new graduates
• Maintain detailed records of the placement pipeline and generate placement reports that support grant reporting and board updates

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Organizational skills

CRM systems

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, counseling, case management, or related field

Experience with clients in social services, case management, or workforce development

Job description

Organization: MC3 | Location: Nashville, TN | Reports to: Executive Director | Type: Full-time

Overview

MC3 prepares people for careers in the skilled trades. The Apprenticeship Placement Coordinator ensures program graduates matriculate into apprenticeship programs and other apprenticeship pathway employment outcomes. This role owns graduate placement from end to end, building relationships across Nashville's building trades, and developing individualized placement plans with every graduate while advocating with union halls and contractors until placement is secured.

This is a relationship-forward position. The right candidate will become a recognized, trusted presence in Nashville\'s trades community, a go-to contact for business managers, and a supporter graduates know is in their corner long after graduation day.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain deep relationships in the Nashville trades community

• Represent MC3 at Building Trades Council meetings, TVA Labor Management Trust meetings, pre-job meetings, and other workforce convenings
• Develop genuine relationships with union business managers, organizers, dispatchers, contractors, and apprenticeship training centers
• Stay current on which trades are hiring, dispatch timelines, and what each trade looks for in candidates

Support participants throughout the program

• Meet 1:1 with every participant in both our school and community programs to understand their goals, interests, and barriers well before graduation
• Instruct approximately 50% of our community-based Apprenticeship Readiness Program. This program is three weeks long and runs three times per year. You will deliver curriculum sections in the community program, including career exploration and apprenticeship and construction readiness topics
• Help recruit and interview incoming participants alongside program staff

Guide every graduate to placement

• Lead a post-graduation planning meeting with each graduate to map their best-fit trades and build a concrete, individualized action plan
• Connect graduates with resources that remove barriers to employment, including transportation, childcare, and housing support
• Advocate actively: make direct calls on graduates\' behalf, write reference letters, share real-time hiring updates, coach graduates through interviews, and accompany them to appointments when it helps
• Stay in regular contact with graduates for at least a year after program completion, tracking their progress and career growth

Grow the MC3 alumni community

• Plan and host two annual alumni events (summer cookout and holiday party) that build peer mentorship and job referral networks
• Keep alumni engaged and connected as a resource for new graduates

Track outcomes

• Maintain detailed records of the placement pipeline and generate placement reports that support grant reporting and board updates

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will come from one of two backgrounds:

• Bachelor\'s degree in social work, human services, counseling, case management, or a related field
• Experience working directly with clients in a social services, case management, or workforce development program

Pathway B: The trades

• Journey-level credentials in a construction trade
• Experience mentoring, training, or supporting others, and a track record of working well on a team

All candidates should bring:

• Strong relationship-building skills and the confidence to work a room, pick up the phone, and follow through on commitments
• Genuine care for the people you serve and the persistence to go the extra mile for a graduate
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage a pipeline of dozens of graduates, each at a different stage
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including comfort speaking in front of groups and writing professional correspondence
• Proficiency with data entry, CRM systems, or the ability to learn these skills quickly
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive personal information such as background and employment barriers
• Comfort working independently and managing your own schedule across meetings, site visits, and events
• A valid driver\'s license and reliable transportation for travel throughout the Nashville area
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend commitments such as trades meetings and alumni events
• Familiarity with the skilled trades and organized labor community, ideally in Middle Tennessee, or a demonstrated readiness to immerse yourself in it

Salary Range

$55,000 - $75,000, depending on experience. Wide range reflects that strong candidates may come from significantly varied professional backgrounds ranging from social services to the skilled trades.