Workforce Connections Counselor - CA

Justworks, Inc.; Inglewood (CA); In loco; USD 48.000 - 49.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Justworks, Inc. is a real-world employer relations and workforce-development nonprofit? SJLI-like context. Workforce Connections Counselor will work in Inglewood, CA to convert scholar career preparation into employment, internships, apprenticeships, and credentials within the Higher Pathways program.

The role focuses on building regional partnerships, managing opportunity pipelines, and supporting scholar placement, retention, and advancement toward measurable outcomes.

Mansioni

• Build and sustain strategic relationships with employers, workforce agencies, industry associations, apprenticeship programs, training providers, and partners.
• Attend regional workforce meetings and events to establish, develop and maintain workforce relationships.
• Develop and implement employer-engagement and workforce-partnership strategies that create internships, jobs, apprenticeships, credentials, and training.
• Identify gaps in opportunities by industry, skill level, geography, scholar interest, compensation, and accessibility; cultivate partnerships to address gaps.
• Set clear expectations with partners on scholar experience, supervision, compensation and follow-through; assess partnership quality over time.
• Represent Higher Pathways professionally with employer partners and communicate SJLI's mission and program expectations.
• Source and maintain a pipeline of internships, jobs, apprenticeships, credentials, training opportunities and other pathways for scholar mobility.
• Evaluate opportunities for compensation, benefits, accessibility, workplace culture and growth potential.
• Coordinate with partners to reduce barriers to participation and advocate for equitable access and opportunities.
• Maintain clear opportunity information and referral processes for eligibility, timelines and expectations.
• Share labor-market trends and employer feedback to strengthen career development and program strategy.
• Provide individualized placement support including application strategy, interview coordination and onboarding preparation.
• Collaborate with counselors to align opportunities with scholars’ goals and readiness.
• Support scholars in balancing work, education and family responsibilities while pursuing opportunities.
• Follow up with scholars and employers post-placement to identify barriers and support retention and advancement.
• Help scholars identify next-step opportunities for advancement and increased responsibility.

Descrizione del lavoro

Employment type Full-time employee Department Educational Equity - LA Work location Inglewood, CA Compensation $34.66 – $35.62 per hour
Final compensation will depend on the location and level at which the candidate is hired

About this job

WORKFORCE CONNECTIONS COUNSELOR

Position Title: Workforce Connections Counselor

Reports To: Higher Pathways Regional Manager

Position Summary:

The Workforce Connections Counselor is a specialized member of SJLI's Higher Pathways team responsible for converting scholar career preparation into meaningful employment, internships, apprenticeships, training, credential, and other economic-mobility opportunities. Working under the supervision of the Higher Pathways Regional Manager, this role builds and manages employer, workforce, industry, training, and community partnerships; develops high-quality opportunity pipelines; supports scholar placement and retention; and helps ensure that Higher Pathways produces measurable employment and advancement outcomes.

Within Higher Pathways' coordinated model, Postsecondary Success Counselors remain the primary relationship and case owner for scholars, while the Career Development Counselor leads career exploration, professional readiness, and Career Action Planning. The Workforce Connections Counselor receives referrals when scholars are ready to pursue specific employment, internship, apprenticeship, training, or placement opportunities and works with the scholar and team to move those opportunities toward successful participation and sustained outcomes.

The Workforce Connections Counselor serves as a bridge between SJLI scholars and the regional workforce ecosystem. The role maintains employer and partner relationships, communicates labor-market and employer feedback to the Higher Pathways team, monitors the quality and accessibility of opportunities, and follows placements beyond the initial connection to support retention, advancement, and improved economic mobility. This work contributes directly to Higher Pathways' long-term outcomes of Postsecondary Success, Career & Economic Mobility, Civic Engagement, and Lifelong Well-Being.

Responsibilities

Employer, Workforce, and Industry Partnership Development

· Build and sustain strategic relationships with employers, workforce agencies, industry associations, apprenticeship programs, training providers, economic-development entities, community organizations, and other partners aligned with scholar interests and regional opportunity.

· Regularly attends regional workforce commission, taskforce, board and council meetings, workforce focus events and spaces where workforce relationships can be established, developed and maintained.

· Develop and implement regional employer-engagement and workforce-partnership strategies that create repeatable pipelines for internships, employment, apprenticeships, credentials, training, mentorship, and other career-connected opportunities.

· Identify gaps in available opportunities by industry, skill level, geography, scholar interest, compensation, and accessibility, and proactively cultivate partnerships that address those gaps.

· Establish clear expectations with partners regarding scholar experience, supervision, compensation, communication, accessibility, and follow-through, and assess partnership quality over time.

· Represent Higher Pathways professionally with employer and workforce partners and communicate SJLI's mission, scholar strengths, program expectations, and commitment to equitable economic opportunity.

Opportunity Development, Quality, and Scholar Access

· Source, vet, organize, and maintain a current pipeline of internships, jobs, apprenticeships, fellowships, credential programs, training opportunities, entrepreneurship resources, and other pathways that can advance scholar economic mobility.

· Evaluate opportunities for compensation, benefits, accessibility, workplace culture, growth potential, skill development, schedule, location, and alignment with scholar and program goals.

· Work with partners to reduce unnecessary barriers to participation and advocate for equitable access, fair compensation, inclusive hiring practices, and meaningful opportunities for advancement.

· Maintain clear opportunity information and referral processes so Postsecondary Success Counselors and Career Development Counselors understand eligibility requirements, timelines, expectations, and appropriate scholar fit.

· Share labor-market trends, hiring needs, skill demands, and employer feedback with the Higher Pathways team to strengthen career development, scholar preparation, and program strategy.

Employment Placement, Retention, and Advancement

· Provide individualized workforce and placement support to referred scholars, including opportunity matching, application strategy, interview coordination, onboarding preparation, and navigation of hiring processes.

· Coordinate closely with the Career Development Counselor to ensure scholars are adequately prepared for opportunities and with the Postsecondary Success Counselor to keep employment goals connected to the scholar's overall Individual Success Plan.

· Support scholars in balancing employment, education, training, family responsibilities, and other postsecondary goals as they enter or advance within the workforce.

· Conduct structured follow-up with scholars and, when appropriate, employers after placement to identify barriers, support retention, and resolve issues that could threaten continued employment or participation.

· Help scholars identify next-step opportunities for advancement, additional credentials, increased responsibility, improved compensation, or movement into more sustainable career pathways.

· Maintain a focus on successful conversion from opportunity to placement and from placement to retention and advancement, rather than measuring success solely by referrals or introductions.

Apprenticeships, Credentials, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Mobility

· Connect scholars to registered and industry-recognized apprenticeships, certifications, technical training, credential pathways, and other earn-and-learn opportunities aligned with career goals.

· Provide eligibility guidance and coordinate applications, referrals, placement, partner communication, and follow-up for workforce training and credential opportunities.

· Build relationships with entrepreneurship programs, incubators, small-business resources, business mentors, financial-capability programs, and asset‑building supports that expand pathways to economic mobility.

· Collaborate with Career Development Counselors and Postsecondary Success Counselors to ensure workforce opportunities align with scholar interests, readiness, financial goals, and long‑term career plans