Training Worker ; Merit

State Merit System Services (MSS) classification. Please go to  to view the actual job classification and to apply for this position.

At the Department of Social Services we strive to partner with our community to assist, empower and protect those we serve. We foster an agency culture that supports family life and encourages fun-filled activities and agency committees. This is more than an invitation, it’s a commitment to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth to everyone! We ask people to grow with us and make the agency even better.

The primary function of an Employment and Training Worker is to conduct assessments of Welfare to Work participants to identify needs for social and health services, and make referrals to those services. Through motivational interviewing and fact gathering, an Employment and Training Worker helps participants develop plans to address barriers, set goals, and obtain employment.

The ideal candidate will work with a degree of independence, effectively work with community partners, and be knowledgeable of community resources, local employment climate and available education services. Additionally, a successful Employment and Training Worker will have excellent written and oral communication skills, organization skills, and the ability to prioritize tasks. They must also maintain a calm and professional performance and demonstrate exceptional customer service while working with participant populations that have substance use, mental health issues, trauma and domestic violence history.

The Employment and Training Worker will have experience in maintaining cooperative relations and communication with participants, management and staff, as well as community partners.

• Helping participants prepare for and obtain employment.
• Interviewing participants to discover and record employment history, educational background and career goals.
• Identifying barriers to employment and assisting participants to develop job readiness skills and job search strategies individually or in a group environment.
• Coaching and monitoring participants as they progress through their “Welfare to Work” plans.
• Providing follow-up with participants at appropriate intervals to assess progress and record outcomes.
• Assisting participants in coordinating service delivery with community partners.
• Teaching a variety of job readiness workshops and orientation to groups of participants.
• Offering and providing supportive services such as childcare, education and transportation.
• Compiling, verifying and summarizing program data and entering it into State automated system.
• Developing and implementing processes and procedures for efficient program operation.

As an Employment and Training Worker you will ask participants detailed questions regarding their or their family members’, mental health, substance use, involvement in domestic violence and homelessness status. An Employment and Training Worker must be able to accept participants’ differences and interact with them in a non-judgmental manner.

• Requires a valid California driver’s license.

• One (1) year of full‑time experience as an Eligibility Specialist II or Social Worker I.
• OR Six (6) months of full‑time experience as an Eligibility Specialist II and completion of 15 semester college units in career planning, vocational guidance principles, personality development, occupational testing and measurement, or counseling preparation.
• OR Eighteen months of full‑time experience providing case management, vocational guidance, employment counseling or employment placement services and completion of 15 semester college units in career planning, vocational guidance principles, personality development, occupational testing or counseling preparation.
• OR Two (2) years of full‑time experience providing case management, vocational guidance, employment counseling or placement services.
• OR Graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university.

This recruitment closes on January 14, 2026.

To apply please submit your application…