Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Vision insurance
Workforce Development Specialist
What is Bonton?
For the last 200 years, racial injustice and systemic oppression prevented opportunities in Bonton that were a given elsewhere. People here experienced higher rates of diabetes, stroke and cancer, and 48% of residents lived in poverty. Residents have been denied access to the seven human essentials that are necessary to survive and thrive - health & wellness, economic stability, safe and affordable housing, transportation, a sense of belonging, education and access to fair credit. Today, the community is transforming, and healing is coming from within.
Who We Are
Bonton Farms is on a mission is to transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where health, wholeness, and opportunity are the norm for all people. While many nonprofits work to solve one issue, Bonton Farms focuses on place-based interventions to build community capacity for long-term change. As the ecosystem of community resources improves, the neighbors in Bonton use these resources to build successful, self-sufficient lives, ultimately interrupting the impact of decades of disenfranchisement. Bonton Farms’ programs focus on the following seven human essentials: economic stability, health and wellness, transportation, education, access to fair credit and community belonging.
THE MISSION - Transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness and opportunity as the norm.
Overview of Role:
Reporting to the Chief Wellness Officer, the Workforce Development Specialist will provide support and be responsible for a wide range of workforce services to improve the career opportunities for Apprentices in the Bonton Farms Seedtime to Harvest Apprenticeship Program. This role is essential to showcasing to the business community that the graduates of the Apprenticeship program are highly skilled, diversified, and a highly desired pool of talent eager to continue growing in all aspects of their lives.
Responsibilities:
The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment.
- Work closely with the People Development and Apprenticeship Program staff.
- Work with HR staff in the management of the onboarding of new Apprentices.
- Identify, develop and maintain workforce development partnerships with various entities including but not exclusive to the industry partners that align with Bonton Farms mission.
- Develop effective working relationships with employers by:
- Maintaining regular contact and correspondence in order to monitor employment satisfaction.
- Documenting the character traits that the industry partner desires for their organization.
- Create an internal workforce development curriculum for the Apprenticeship Program that coincides with the T.E.A.C.H.E.S. curriculum, and facilitate on-the-job training and coaching that is documented and replicable.
- Provide tours of the industry partner’s offices/facilities to the Apprentices to increase exposure to various opportunities and spark interest.
- Identify Apprentices’ individual workforce and professional strengths and limitations.
- Meet with people development staff and social enterprise managers to reduce barriers and upskill for industry partner placement of Apprentices.
- Assisting Apprentices with further skill development outside of the social enterprises and the people development program such as obtaining further formal education, certificates, career training credentials, undergraduate degrees, etc.
- Help prepare Apprentices for the next dignified step in the workforce by:
- Identifying which opportunities are of interest and that they are willing to pursue.
- Helping prepare resumes.
- Having Apprentices participate in mock interviews.
- Hosting workshops featuring various professionals to increase the opportunity for growth, higher livable wages, and exposure to various possibilities in future careers.
- Assist Apprentices in development of a strength-based/solution focused individualized goal and action plan that promotes self-sufficiency.
- Gather, analyze and process program data.
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Maintain accurate daily logs records, monthly outcome reports, and files for each Apprentice.
- Create and maintain consistent communication channels, both verbal and written, between several parties by:
- Meeting weekly with the social enterprise leadership to review the Apprentice’s progress.
- Meeting with Apprentices weekly as well as shadowing them in their work area to provide direct on-the-job feedback and coaching.
- Market the Apprenticeship Program opportunities to community members and partner organizations.
- Work closely with People Development staff to identify and access services and resources to help meet the individual needs of Apprentices.
- Participate in performance-related goal setting and achievement to meet personal and organizational objectives and goals.
- Other duties as assigned by the Chief Wellness Officer.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources or related field
- At least two years of relevant experience to the role including workforce development training, candidate screening and project management.
- Excellent communication skills, particularly listening, speaking, mediation, and writing skills.
- Must have knowledge of resume building, interviewing, networking and social media.
- Great follow up skills.
- Willingness to work flexible, varying hours including evenings and weekends as needed.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize, organize, problem solve and exercise great judgement with minimal supervision.
- Possess strong organizational skills with the ability to meet a demanding workload.
- A strong conviction about the capacity for people to grow and change.
- The ability to establish and set appropriate professional limits and boundaries with Apprentices served to help them gain skills and confidence.
- Demonstrate initiative in achieving individual, team, and organizational goals and objectives.
- Fluency in the English language is required. Spanish speaking ability is an added asset, but not required.
- Vast experience with computers especially on Microsoft Office.
- Reliable transportation to make visits to Apprentices’ work environment.
- Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of population served.