Program Specialist

REPORTS TO:

Manager, Black Community Access Program

CONTRACT TYPE:

Permanent full time

HOURS:

35 hours per week, Hybrid (Monday
- Friday, with occasional evening and/or weekend hours)

PAY RATE:

$28.64

START DATE:

Immediately

COMPANY:

Located on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, Skills for Change (SfC) is working towards advancing the Sustainable Development Goals for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Named Charity Village's Best Non-Profit Employer - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and winner of the 2021 Canada Volunteer Awards for Innovation, our organization is committed to reducing poverty, improve mental health, eliminating gender-based violence, building community, eradicating systemic racism, and settling and creating sustainable communities for all immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities.

Start your career with SfC and join our 43-year history of creating innovative programming to build welcoming and equitable communities.

With over 43 years of operations, Skills for Change is a highly respected non-profit charity with a province wide reputation for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. We offer a range of accelerated programs including mentoring, employment, settlement, language training together with specialized programs for skilled trades, women, and youth. We have 5 locations across the GTA and serve 20,000 clients annually.

We believe we are in the best position to provide thought leadership through evidence-based programming, impact stories and proactive policy advocacy using knowledge mobilization products.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Black Community Access Programming (BCAP) team envisions a Canada where Anti-Black racism is eradicated, paving the way for

economic empowerment and greater Black representation across labour markets, and achieves this by investing in Black Futures by

providing the training, career-enabling resources, and holistic support needed to thrive in the workforce and broader society. BCAP

programs and services are designed to provide learning and development opportunities that address anti-Black racism and build

community connections that improve wellbeing, inclusion, and support workforce integration.

The ideal candidate has:

• Lived experience and self-identification as Black, which can be defined as individuals of African descent, whether born and raised in Africa or with roots and lineage tracing back to the African continent. This includes people of African descent from the Caribbean, Latin America, North America, Europe, and other regions.
• Knowledge about Greater Toronto’s Black African-diasporic communities, with a particular emphasis in supporting Black women (18+), LGBTQi2S+ community, immigrants and refugees, and the issues facing members of those communities.
• Knowledge of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion best practices and Anti-Black Racism frameworks.
  
  A strong commitment to maintaining high standards of culturally responsive service delivery.
• Familiarity with community resources and services, with an emphasis on mental health and wellness.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters with discretion, and effective problem solving.

Key Responsibilities

The Program Specialist supports the delivery of BCAP programs by coordinating activities, engaging participants, and ensuring access to holistic support that promotes career success. This position plays a key role in supporting program delivery and participant success, working under the guidance of the Manager and in collaboration with internal teams. The role emphasizes program coordination, participant support, and employer engagement, while maintaining quality and compliance.

Program Development & Delivery

• Coordinate BCAP Programming with a focus on the Tech Forward Black Women in Data Analytics program, to ensure smooth delivery of all components, including scheduling cohorts, supporting instructors, and engaging participants throughout the program lifecycle.
• Use project management tools to organize timelines, track deliverables, and maintain alignment with program goals.
• Work closely with the BCAP Manager and learning delivery partners to develop and update program content that is culturally responsive, and data driven.
• Incorporate client feedback and current sector trends to keep the curriculum relevant and impactful.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for participants—conduct intake assessments, provide career counseling, and connect them to wraparound supports that address barriers to employment and wellbeing.
• Monitor participant progress and implement retention strategies to achieve completion targets.
• Meet 100% participant intake target and ensure at least an 85% participant completion rate.
• Maintain high standards of program delivery through continuous evaluation, feedback collection, and improvement planning.
• Support efforts to build and…