About The Career Foundation:

The Career Foundation is a dynamic non-profit organization that offers job seekers a wide range of employment and training services. Since its inception in 1988, The Career Foundation has steadily expanded its services. Operating from multiple locations across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, we now help thousands of people each year successfully accomplish their employment goals. Our team of dedicated professionals describe The Career Foundation as caring, compassionate, innovative, and team oriented. For more information about us and our services, please visit our website at CareerFoundation.com.

Program and Role Description:

The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program (EAP) assists individuals with disabilities in overcoming barriers to employment by enhancing their employability to make a successful transition to employment or to return to school to further their career goals. The program consists of up to ten weeks of pre-employment workshops, followed by twelve weeks of a wage subsidy job placement.  

This Employment Advisor/Job Coach position is available with The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program - York location (Weston Rd & Lawrence Ave W.). The Employment Advisor/Job Coach is an important member of the team, responsible for case-managing program participants through pre-employment workshops, providing one-on-one job coaching and counselling, conducting outreach and job development with potential placement employers, and performing other essential duties.

Position type: Full-time (37.5 hours per week) leave-based contract until April 7, 2025

Base Location and Travel Requirements: This opportunity is based at The Career Foundation’s York office at Weston Rd & Lawrence Ave. W., with local travel as needed within the communities served, including on-site monitoring visits with program participants during their work placements. The position will also permit periodic work-from-home days, contingent on program operational needs, performance, and other requirements. Company laptop and other equipment provided.

Start: As soon as possible

Reporting to: Program Coordinator

Responsibilities include:

Job Coaching, Case Management, and Facilitation

• Supports program participants with self-disclosed disabilities in identifying immediate job goals and helps them understand the conditions and specifications of those occupations.
• Completes personalized needs assessments with program participants, including evaluating and interpreting collected information to support them in targeting the most suitable employment opportunities based on their experience, education, and disabilities, and existing labour market factors.
• Researches and provides participants with additional information relevant to their job goals, including career paths, training certifications, and apprenticeships.
• Provides job coaching to program participants on appropriate work habits, behaviours, and attitudes during their participation in the program and in the workplace, taking into consideration their self-disclosed disabilities and any required accommodations that are necessary to help them achieve successful outcomes.
• Provides individualized employability skills coaching and training sessions to participants, focusing on overcoming barriers to employment and job maintenance.
• Creates effective resumes and cover letters for participants and provides them with coaching to prepare them for successful interviews. 
• Provides effective one-on-one and group-based support to program participants to develop personal management skills, including self-awareness, flexibility, adaptability, budgeting, and other topics.
• Maintains regular and consistent follow-up with participants during all phases of the program, providing repeat coaching to ensure positive outcomes.
• Utilizes technologies provided by The Career Foundation to further support participants in achieving their employment goals.
• Schedules appointments for participants and completes all necessary paperwork and documentation.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date files and case notes in data management systems in compliance with company policies and program funder expectations.
• Ensures that all files are audit-ready and accurately reflect records of services provided to program participants and employers.
• Other relevant duties as assigned.

Job Development, Retention, and Program Outreach

• Generates new relationships with employers in a variety of industries to ensure successful job development for program participants.
• Supports employers in identifying their employment and training needs and conducts site visits to ensure employers can provide suitable and safe workplace environments for program participants.
• Matches program participants with suitable employment opportunities based on their vocational interests, aptitudes, and abilities.
• Administers placement agreements with and without wage subsidies, including collecting required paystubs and processing payment claims.
• Visits and monitors participants on-the-job during their placements to observe progress and provide additional real-time support when needed.
• Facilitates communication between participants and placement employers to mediate issues as needed.
• Finds suitable alternative employment opportunities for program participants who do not retain their initial job placement.
• Participates in conducting outreach to recruit eligible participants into the program from equity deserving groups, including 2SLGBTQI+, racialized minorities and others, through community events, job fairs, social media channels, and other strategies.
• Delivers information sessions for community partners and other stakeholders to promote the program and generate qualified referrals.  
• Other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications/ Skills Required:

• A post-secondary degree or diploma in human services or a related field relevant to the position’s duties is highly preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required. 
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in job coaching, career counselling and/or job development, or other experience that is directly transferrable to the duties of the position is required.
• Prior experience in serving persons with disabilities within the employment services industry, utilizing the Disability Severity Assessment tool, and/or experience with government-funded employment programs considered assets.
• Candidates who possess the above qualifications as well as existing relationships with employers that can be relied upon to provide employment opportunities for program participants will be prioritized.
• Must be willing to work from The Career Foundation’s Weston & Lawrence office in York, Ontario.
• Proven track record achieving results and experience with meeting assigned targets.
• Professional, warm, and courteous approach to client service, with a high level of respect for the diversity of the people served.
• Excellent rapport and relationship-building skills to develop and maintain effective connections with program participants, employers, community partners, and other stakeholders to achieve goals.
• High ethics and confidentiality standards, with the ability to uphold the organization’s core values.
• Proven experience in maintaining sensitive information and exhibiting tact, diplomacy, and good judgment.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills. Bilingualism is considered an asset.
• Ability to multi-task to meet deadlines and goals.
• Experience in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Outlook 365 applications, including MS Teams and SharePoint. Must possess aptitude and willingness to learn and work with new online systems and technologies. 
• Willingness and flexibility to occasionally work outside regular business hours when required to ensure the team meets all objectives. 
• Dedicated work ethic with a positive and client-centered approach to work.