EDUCATION AND CAREER ADVISOR

Number of hours per week: 30
General Description:
The Education and Career Advisor provides educational and career advising to help adult students improve their college and career awareness and readiness, identify and achieve their academic and vocational goals, and take the next steps toward a career pathway leading to further education or training, or employment with a sustainable wage. The Advisor also provides supportive counseling and problem solving to help students resolve barriers to attendance and completion of the program. This position works collaboratively with the teaching staff, as well as with the local community colleges, area ABE programs and career centers.
Specific Essential Duties:
· Work one-on-one with students to assess skills, and clarify, expand and focus educational and career goals.
· Work closely with each student and with the instructor to guide the development of an Individual Education and Career Plan tailored to the student’s values and skills, including a timeline for the achievement of each goal.
· Monitor current labor market information, and information about regional training and educational opportunities, to help guide students to make short- and long-term plans leading them to careers with family-sustaining wages.
· Conduct assessments, both formal and informal to guide the course of group instruction and identify individual areas of strength and challenge for students.
· Address barriers to attendance, achievement and retention by assisting students with problem solving, providing referrals to human service agencies, and helping students to access and maintain unemployment benefits, food stamps, and other aid for which they may qualify.
· Work with the instructors to prepare and conduct workshops and activities on a variety of topics such as careers, college and workforce readiness, etc.
· If appropriate, plan and lead field trips to area colleges and vocational programs.
· Work with both MassHire career centers in Hampden County to coordinate services to participants, plan visits and presentations and help students register at the career centers.
· Foster and maintain relationships with area ABE Transition to College programs, One-Stop Career centers and vocational training providers; make referrals and facilitate student connection with programs and assist students in the transition to their next educational and career steps.
· Help to facilitate student access to Educational Counselors from the Educational Opportunity Center, for assistance in choosing a college/training program and filing college and financial aid applications, vocational training programs, and businesses that will give students deeper understanding of the range of career possibilities open to them.
· Follow up with students and community college, vocational training staff or employers to support the on-going placement of participants in vocational training, college and employment.
· Enter student data in database(s), as required to document student contacts and maintain records.
· Maintain and update a confidential record of all student conferences.
· Participate in all staff meetings
· Other duties as required.
General Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field; minimum 1 year experience in educational or employment advising; experience working with adult learners, out-of-school youth and newcomer and immigrant populations; ability to work collaboratively to plan and implement programs; excellent organizational, written and oral communication skills and computer skills.
Travel in the employee’s car (with mileage expenses reimbursed) may be required. Ability to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations, where possible, may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

MA in Education, Counseling or Psychology. Experience designing and implementing career exploration and career planning curriculum, and job search workshops; knowledge of area higher education and post-secondary training opportunities. Ability to effectively represent the program in the community. Fluency in Spanish a plus.

Please refer the Job description for details