EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT AHC

Are you passionate about supporting children and youth as they get their start in Canada? Do you fluently speak a second language and live in the Vegreville or Fort Saskatchewan area? Are you curious about systems navigation and equitable access to services for newcomers? Do you have a “never give up” attitude?

Action for Healthy Communities is looking to hire a full-time Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS).

Position:

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) Worker – Vegreville, Fort Saskatchewan and Area    

Program:

AHC Small Centres

Location: Vegreville, Fort Saskatchewan Area     , Alberta

Terms:

Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, immediate start

Compensation:  $4,550 – $4,875 per month ($28-$30 an hour.)

Job Summary

In this dynamic role, you’ll support immigrant and refugee children and youth and their families, both in and out of school. As a SWIS worker, you’ll help with “high stakes” meetings between immigrant families and school: intakes, parent-teacher interviews, and accessing supports. You’ll also help immigrant families navigate Canada’s many complex systems: housing, healthcare, employment, education, and social services.

You’ll be joining a well-established team working in rural communities across Central Alberta—Small Centres. The AHC Small Centres program currently serves in Leduc, Beaumont, Camrose, Bonnyville, and Cold Lake, and is seeking to expand into Fort Saskatchewan and Vegreville (East of Edmonton region.) We will support you as we develop our services in the East of Edmonton region.

While we prefer experience in education or social services, we are willing to train the right person. If you’re a go-getter who thrives in a self-directed environment, we would love for you to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

●     Relationship Building and Information Sharing:

○     Establish and maintain contact with newcomer students and their families in order to determine their needs;

○     Provide information and orientation about Canadian culture, service systems, and the Alberta Education system to newcomer families in order to enhance the settlement process;

○     Act as a “point person” between the school and the newcomer family, particularly when there are language barriers, misunderstandings, or other challenges.

●     Activity Facilitator:

○     Arrange and facilitate activities and events for newcomer children and families in the community (i.e., cultural events, sports, opportunities for networking and socializing with other newcomers and new Canadians);

○     Explore opportunities to collaborate with other Small Centres staff to support event planning between communities—for example, trips to cultural sites or community connection events.

●     Wayfinding and Systems Navigation

○     With support from the Manager, Small Centres, help clients navigate Canadian systems needed for their effective settlement, including Alberta Health Care, employment, social support, and higher education;

○     Identify systemic challenges in community and engage with the team to develop compassionate, client-focused solutions.

Required Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

Qualifications and experience

●      Must have a Class 5 Alberta drivers’ license and clean drivers’ abstract.  (GDL Class 5 is acceptable.)

●      Must have own vehicle; must be willing to drive in rural Alberta in the East of Edmonton region and occasionally to Edmonton.

●      As a condition of employment, must be able to pass a vulnerable sector check.

●      Must fluently speak a second language. All languages are assets; Ukrainian and Russian are particularly desirable.

●      Ideal candidate will have 3-5 years working in an education- or social services-focused environment, including as an Educational Assistant or similar.

●      Ideal candidate will have experience working with children and youth.

●      Ideal candidate will have experience working with vulnerable populations.

●      Knowledge or experience in teaching English as a Second Language is desirable.

●      Lived experience as an immigrant or refugee is not required, but is highly desirable.

●      As AHC primarily supports newcomer and other equity seeking populations, awareness of the barriers these communities experience paired with cross cultural sensitivity is necessary.

Core competencies

●        Systems Thinking/Approach: Proactively seeks to understand interrelated environments, wide range of stakeholder perspectives and uses frameworks that consider the inter-relationships. Anticipates outcomes, evaluates and assesses potential impacts, and establishes plans with a holistic and long-term view of challenges and opportunities considering short, mid/long term impacts from broader sector trends.

●        Agility: Open to new, diverse ideas, and takes new approaches. Proactively seeks advice and support when priorities change, to appropriately assess, prioritize, and meet changing demands. Maintains resilience in times of uncertainty, effectively creates and takes advantage of opportunities for improvement, recognizes importance of timing, anticipates obstacles and takes action when appropriate. Able to adapt to multiple dynamics/priorities. 

Working Conditions

●        37.5 hours weekly; flexible to work occasional evenings and weekends.

●       Class 5 Driver's License with a clean driver’s abstract and a reliable vehicle required

●       Work will occur in office, in schools, and in community.

How to Apply

Send your resume and cover letter to:  

The successful candidate will be required to provide references and undergo a security screening

Deadline: March 24, 2023

Only those qualifying for an interview will be contacted.  Thank you for your interest in the position.