Vocational Specialist

Location: New York

Title:

Vocational Specialist Unit:
Education and Employment Services

Reports to:

Director, Workforce Development Status:
Full Time;
Regular, Non-Exempt Salary Range: $31.87 to $34.07 (approximately $58,000 to $62,000 annually)

Location:

Long Island City, NY and other Fortune Offices, as needed

Days/

Hours:

Monday – Friday, 9:000am-5:00pm; some evenings and weekends as required

This position is represented by OPEIU Local 153

Organization Overview:

The Fortune Society, Inc. (Fortune) has been working for over 57 years in service to our mission: to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. The organization has evolved into one of the nation’s preeminent reentry and justice-informed service organizations, providing formerly incarcerated people with the skills and wrap-around services needed to break the cycle of crime and incarceration and to build productive lives in their communities.

Fortune has grown steadily over the years to an agency with close to $90 million in annual budget with just under 600 staff. We anticipate that we will keep growing, both in size and depth of service. Fortune has a dual mission: both advocacy and service. The advocacy portion of our mission focuses on building a more just criminal legal system and reducing the barriers to reentry into society.

The service side of Fortune has evolved to encompass a broad range of programs that started with employment and education and now includes a robust array of services, among them: alternatives to incarceration, supervised release, court advocacy, discharge planning within correctional facilities, licensed substance use and mental health treatment, a housing continuum ranging from emergency and transitional through permanent congregate and scattered site housing, assistance in obtaining benefits, a care management unit, HIV services, a food and nutrition program, and an arts program.

Each service we provide is informed by the needs of the population we serve. Fortune currently serves approximately 18,000 people a year. Our program models are recognized, both nationally and internationally, for their quality and innovation. We have locations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens.

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Director, Workforce Development, the Vocational Instructor will work with the Employment Services team to deliver digital skills and customer service/retail training to formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into the community, supporting reentry, employment, and personal empowerment. The ideal candidate is a compassionate educator and facilitator dedicated to helping individuals build essential digital and customer service skills for reintegration into a digital society that will support them being successful in the workplace.

Core Competencies:

Mission and Fit The candidate must embody the values and mission of the Fortune Society. This includes meeting our participants where they are, demonstrating our values through compassion and understanding; and affirming that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done.

Attention to Detail The Vocational Specialist must demonstrate competency to develop systems and processes to organize and keep track of information or work progress; is routinely conscientious, thorough, accurate and reliable when performing and completing job tasks; and recognizes trends, detects inconsistencies, and determines essential details.

Participant Centered The Vocational Specialist focuses on opportunities to support participants. They have an ability to illustrate the highest level of customer care and empathy while thriving to resolve participant…