Education and Employment Specialist

Education and Employment Specialist

First Place for Youth – Oakland, California, United States

Are you dedicated to empowering and supporting youth, regardless of their background? We're searching for passionate individuals to make a positive impact on the lives of foster youth. Become an integral part of their transformative journey and join the First Place for Youth team.

About First Place for Youth, we’re a leading non‑profit organization dedicated to supporting foster youth in their transition to adulthood, with a focus on education, employment, and housing. We believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to thrive and lead successful, independent lives. Our comprehensive programs empower foster youth to overcome the unique challenges they face and build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to succeed.

The Education and Employment Specialist (EES) is energetic and youth-centered and passionate about supporting current and former foster youth in reaching their educational and employment goals. The EES manages a caseload of up to 30 youth in the My First‑Place housing program, providing targeted employment and education case management within a team setting. The EES supports youth in developing goals related to post‑secondary education, career development and obtaining and maintaining a living wage.

The EES must have knowledge in youth‑centered approaches to support the development of skills in securing and maintaining employment along with a solid understanding of traditional school, post‑secondary, vocational and apprenticeship education systems. The EES is responsible for forming and maintaining relationships with local employers, educational programs and community resources to support job linkages. The EES must be able to influence, teach and motivate youth while understanding coaching principles to guide them through the stages of change.

The EES performs both one‑on‑one support and group‑based work and leads education and employment events for the My First‑Place program. The EES works in partnership with the Youth Advocate position to coordinate targeted support to youth. This position is a combination of onsite and community‑based work Monday through Friday and will be part of our Transitional Living Program (TLP) which serves young adults referred through the SF homeless response system.

• Support youth to identify and work toward employment and educational goals that support independence.
• Meet with individual youth regularly to develop career‑related goals and identify steps to achieve these goals, including post‑secondary education planning.
• Provide continuous coaching, identify barriers and develop joint plans to achieve success with youth and Youth Advocate.
• Lead workshops related to career education, job‑seeking skills and other pre‑ and post‑employment related skills such as resume development, dressing for success, interviewing and job maintenance.
• Document and track all meetings with youth by creating case notes within the internal database and within required timelines.
• Coach youth participants on handling work‑related issues and promote self‑advocacy.
• Assess educational status and interests of youth participants through standard assessments and one‑on‑one sessions with youth.
• Work with youth on individualized educational goals focusing on self‑sufficiency and identify short‑term steps toward reaching these goals.
• Complete initial and annual assessments with youth participants within program timelines.
• Plan, organize and lead monthly events for youth.
• Develop individualized plans with each unique youth considering their individual cultural identity, background and experience.
• Establish and maintain external collaborations with individuals and businesses to develop employment opportunities for youth.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organization and within respective departments.
• Complete documentation including Action Plans, assessments and progress notes within required timelines.
• Attend weekly program meetings, monthly agency staff meetings, and individual weekly supervision with Program Manager or the EE…