Life & Workforce Readiness Director

YMCA of the USA; Holyoke (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Greater Holyoke YMCA invites a Life & Workforce Readiness Director to lead strategic programming for youth ages 12-18, focusing on academic success, health & well-being, character & leadership, and career readiness. This role reports to the Senior Program Director and aims to progress youth through Explore, Develop, and Apply phases with hands-on training and industry certifications.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years working with teens, experience supervising community programs, and a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience required. A degree in Education or Social Work is preferred.
• Three or more years of experience working with teens/youth and planning activities.
• One to two years supervising community-based youth programs and experience developing programs.
• Experience working in urban communities and managing an out of school time program or other community-based youth program.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for life skills, workforce development, and teen programming.
• Design, deliver, and expand a continuum of programming: Explore, Develop, Apply.
• Coordinate with parents, administrators, staff, and students to build partnerships.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent

Education or Social Work degree preferred

Youth program leadership

Team supervision

Written and oral communication

Learning new programs quickly

Job description

This position supports the work of the Y, a leading nonprofit charitable organization committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The Life & Workforce Readiness Director provides strategic leadership for all life skills, workforce development, and teen programming at Greater Holyoke YMCA, serving members ages 12-18. Reporting to Senior Program Director, this role is responsible for designing, delivering, and expanding a continuum of programming that moves young people through three intentional stages — Explore, Develop, and Apply — from early curiosity and foundational skill-building in areas of Academic Success, Health & Well-being, Character & Leadership and Life & Workforce Readiness with an end goal of career exploration, hands‑on training, industry certifications, and real‑world work experience.,

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with teens/youth and planning activities.
• One (1) to two (2) years of experience supervising community-based youth programs and experience developing programs.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience required. A degree in Education or Social Work is preferred.
• Experience working in urban communities and managing an out of school time program or other community-based youth program
• Strong leadership skills with experience in managing different levels of staff
• Ability to build effective working relationships with parents, administrators, staff and students
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and organization skills
• Strong technical skills, with ability to learn new programs quickly as needed
• Must be at least 21 years of age or older.
• CPR/First Aid Certification within 3 months
• YMCA Leader Certification within 6 months