Employment Counselor - Time Limited

Utah Department of Workforce Services; Richfield (UT); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Utah Department of Workforce Services is seeking an Employment Counselor I at the Richfield Employment Center. You will work with individuals, families and youth to set career goals, address barriers, and connect clients with community resources to improve self-sufficiency.

Training includes assessments and work-ready evaluations; experience with motivational interviewing and case management is valued. On-site duties include home visits and one-on-one or group sessions.

Qualifications

• Empathy and compassion for others; desire to assist customers in difficult situations.
• Ability to present information clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing.
• Exceptional customer service skills with sensitivity, tact and professionalism.
• Interpersonal skills including active listening and relationship building.
• Capable of balancing program policies with compassion.

Responsibilities

• Provide career, occupational and educational counseling to empower customers to increase their income and break the cycle of poverty.
• Assess customers and their families to identify barriers to self-sufficiency, employment, training and income goals; provide resources to resolve barriers.
• Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to complete assessments and evaluations and to gain information for goal planning.
• Develop employment plans and goals with activities leading to achieving goals and/or work readiness; monitor progress.
• Utilize labor market information, local resources, referrals to community partners and employers to aid customers in meeting goals.
• Assess needs and educate customers about DWS programs, policies, and services and help them access temporary assistance programs.
• Conduct home visits when needed to build relationships and problem solve.
• Assist customers with resume creation, networking, mock interviewing and job searching with technology.
• Ensure program compliance and appropriate use of public resources.
• Understand and implement program policies and available resources; provide retention support.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Customer service

Active listening

Relationship building

Respectfulness

Policy adherence

Job description

If you are interested in working with diverse populations, and have a desire to help individuals discover their potential

and abilities, while advocating for their self-sufficiency, this is the job for you. The Workforce Development Division

(WDD) at the Department of Workforce Services (DWS) is looking for skilled and motivated individuals to fill an

Employment Counselor I position located at the DWS Employment Center in Richfield, Utah.

Employment Counselors will utilize a wide variety of programs and services to assist individuals, families and youth. We

work with people one on one or in groups to set career and educational goals and identify and resolve barriers that

stand in the way of meeting those goals.

Formal training will be provided to assist you in conducting formal assessments and work-ready evaluations according

to department standards, and to provide support services and resources from the Department. Additional instruction will

be provided in learning of community partner resources and referrals to those resources, in order to help people address

barriers that prevent them from succeeding. Training will include how to access and interpret labor market information

and employer needs. Monitoring of customer progress and documentation will be done in the Department online case

management software program.

*This position may be filled as an Employment Counselor II for an internal applicant, depending on qualifications.*

This position delivers a broad range of services to assist case managed customers, unemployed and underemployed job

seekers, the general public and their families. In meeting with customers, you would help to resolve barriers and increase

customers skills, in order for them to obtain and maintain employment and education that leads to self-sufficiency.

Barriers may include such things as; homelessness, mental and physical disabilities, domestic violence and substance abuse. Services are focused on individual and family needs and may be provided one-on-one or in group settings. Some

positions involve outreach to community partners and/or customer home visits.

Employment Counselors will be trained to:

• Provide career, occupational and educational counseling to empower customers to increase their income and break
• the cycle of poverty.
• Assess customers and their families to identify barriers to self-sufficiency, employment, training and income goals;
• and to provide the necessary resources and support to resolve the barriers.
• Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to complete assessments and evaluations to gain pertinent
• information related to goal planning and barrier resolution and to create a supportive environment.
• Develop employment plans and goals with activities leading to achieving goals and/or work readiness, as well as
• monitoring and evaluating employment plan activities and progress.
• Utilize labor market information, local resources, referral to community partners and employers to assist customers
• in meeting their goals.
• Assess needs and educate customers about DWS programs, policies, and services and help them access
• temporary assistance programs (Food Stamps, Financial, Medicaid, Child Care and Unemployment Insurance).
• Conduct home visits when needed to establish relationships, increase rapport, problem solve, engage or reengage the customer.
• Assist customers with the ultimate goal of employment by assisting with resume creation, networking, mock
• interviewing and job searching with technology.
• Ensure program compliance and appropriate use of public resources.
• Understand and implement program specific policies, procedures, case management techniques, career
• counseling, available Division resources, as well as community partner resources.
• Provide employment retention support and resources.

Qualifications

The model candidate for this position is someone who has:

• Empathy and compassion for others, and possesses a desire to assist customers who are in difficult situations.
• The ability to present information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Exceptional customer service skills and ability to assist people in a manner which shows sensitivity, tact and
• professionalism, without prejudice or bias.
• Possesses interpersonal skills including active listening, ability to build trusting relationships, show mutual
• respect and mindfulness of others
• Capable of working in an environment between balancing program policies and compassion

Hard Skills: (after receiving formal training)

• Provide family focused career counseling and proactively engage and motivate customers.
• Conduct interviews and assessments utilizing motivational interviewing techniques, in order to collect information and establish a supportive relationship.
• Possess skills needed in order to problem solve and identify creative solutions that lead to successful outcomes.
• Implement best practices for mentoring and coaching customers.
• Understanding in how to interpret and apply programmatic policy and procedures appropriately.
• Maintain and manage sensitive and confidential information in a professional and discrete manner.
• Defuse and resolve complaints/conflicts with angry customers in crisis

Preferences

• Preference may be given to those fluent in languages other than English.

About the Role

Location –

115 E 100 S

Richfield, Utah, 84701

United States

Background Check Required –

You must successfully pass a criminal history check.

Why You Should Join Our Team

In Utah, we believe hard work is important, but balance is essential. Finding work/life balance is a vital element to our culture. To find out more about WHY Utah, click here. Other benefits may include:

• Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
• Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
• Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.

The Agency

The mission of Workforce Services is to strengthen Utah's communities by supporting the economic stability and quality of our workforce. Today, more than 2,200 Workforce Services employees assist individuals in preparing for and finding jobs, meeting workforce needs of Utah businesses, administering temporary assistance, and providing economic data and analysis. Through a collaborative approach, the department has served millions of Utahns and has become a leader on several statewide initiatives. These include intergenerational poverty, homelessness, affordable housing, supporting refugees, helping rural communities, serving veterans and individuals with disabilities, and getting Utahns trained and back to work. To learn more about Workforce Services, click here.

EEO Statement

The State of Utah is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. For accommodations, please contact [phone].