AmeriCorps Member Service Opportunity – Full Time Position – Job Skills Training Specialist

The
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation are seeking a full-time AmeriCorps member to serve as a Job Skills Training Specialist. The candidate will ideally begin service on November 1, 2016 and serve a minimum of 1700 hours though the end of his/her term on August 31, 2017.

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUNDS

JCNI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, created by the Jacobs Family Foundation in 1995. JCNI works in partnership with the community to revitalize San Diego neighborhoods recovering from decades of disinvestment, concentrated poverty, high unemployment, economic challenges, and blight.

JCNI acts as the backbone for efforts towards community improvement and neighborhood revitalization. JCNI is proud to be an Implementing Partner for the recently designated San Diego Promise Zone, which includes much of our service area. We anticipate that this Federal designation will accelerate our work and provide new and exciting collaborative project opportunities to revitalize some of San Diego’s most impoverished and underserved communities. AmeriCorps members are needed to help us take full advantage of this designation and expand Job Skills Training for Opportunity Youth.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is dedicated to helping community residents transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities of choice and opportunity — good places to work, do business and raise children. LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help community-based organizations revitalize underserved neighborhoods. This strategy extends to the LISC AmeriCorps program where we support placing AmeriCorps Members with local non-profit partners. Members assist in efforts to revitalize underserved neighborhoods across America and create vibrant places for people to live, work, and play.

AMERICORPS MEMBER ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assists Program team to develop participant soft skills and provide information about appropriate workplace behavior. This will be an integral member of the jobs team, working under Case Manager and alongside the Program Coordinator to provide job skills training and wrap around soft skills training to Opportunity Youth in group and one-on-one settings.

• Develops and documents program level standard operating procedures and supporting documentation.
• Assists in program development around soft skills training, including resume development, interviewing, skills and job search instruction.
• Assists with lesson development and delivery.
• Ensures that participants are checked in daily and all forms and online logs have been completed.
• Tracks student program hours, attendance and additional lab time.
• Manages lab schedule.
• Leads/Assists in developing and disseminating program schedules.
• Assists Case Manager in delivery soft skills training and mentorship.
• Leads/Assists in researching best practices for: Appropriate Work place behavior, Job Search skill skills, resumebuilding and interviewing Strengths.
• Leads/Assists in researching best practices for financial literacy and identifying or developing related curricula.
• Establishes relationships and builds rapport with individual participants.
• Provides regular check-ins to monitor participant challenges and successes.
• Assists in the implementation of Orientation Boot Camp.
• Leads/Assists in completing initial assessments of participants’ skill level.
• Leads/Assists with completing all proper participant forms and tracking tools.
• Leads/Assists in administering evaluation assessment surveys.
• Administers and tracks daily participant check-in forms.
• Provides mentorship during technical training.

• Interfaces with Job Placement Specialist in preparation for training-to-placement transition.
• Maintains and tracks contacts utilizing Salesforce or other customer relationship management tool as prescribed by JCNI.
• Ensures accurate record keeping including participant demographics, case files, referrals, outcomes.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

Members perform day to day service at JCNI and are expected to attend and participate in all LISC AmeriCorps sponsored activities including but not limited to:

• Attending a national leadership conference tentatively scheduled for March 2017;
• Attending all locally sponsored monthly meetings;
• Participating in nationally sponsored webinars;
• Actively participating in at least two locally identified and team coordinated service projects (one for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and one for National AmeriCorps Week); and,
• Engaging in any other LISC events as determined by the local LISC office.This is an AmeriCorps position. As such neither LISC nor JCNI will allow the member to engage in activities that are considered prohibited under the terms of the grant while serving as a LISC AmeriCorps member.
  

DESIRED SKILLS

• Desire and ability to work with a diverse group of people, particularly those living in low-income distressed neighborhoods
• Experience with at-risk youth and/or youth development preferred
• Experience developing lesson plans is a plus
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Computer skills
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work a flexible schedule (some nights and weekends may be required)
• Commitment to personal learning and growth
• Strong organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• People- and service-oriented disposition

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to participate as a LISC AmeriCorps member the candidate must meet all eligibility requirements to serve as a National Service participant including but not limited to:

• Be eligible to earn 100% of a full-time education award
• Be eligible to perform a term of national service
• Possess a high school degree, GED certificate or agree to achieve GED during the term of service
• Be at least 17 years of age (note there is no upper age limit)
• Have proof of status as a US citizen or possess permanent resident status and be able to provide documentation as determined by CNCS
• Be available to serve for a full 10 month period of time
• Be able to complete at least 1700 hours of service within the 10 months of service

NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY SEARCH

If a candidate has a criminal record, it does not necessarily make a candidate ineligible for service. Only candidates who are subject to registry on the National Sex Offender Public Website or have been convicted of First Degree Murder may not participate as an AmeriCorps member. Only candidates being offered and then accepting the position must consent to a search of the National Sex Offender Public Website, a State Level Criminal History Search and an FBI search. Consent is provided via the LISC AmeriCorps application.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

Upon successful completion of the term of service, the member will be eligible for a $5,775 education award to pay off existing, eligible student loans or return to school. The position pays a total stipend of $15,000. The stipend is taxable and paid in 20 equal checks twice a month from LISC. Direct deposit is highly encouraged. A health care benefit is available for the participant only (dependents are not eligible). For members with children under the age of 13, there is a child care subsidy benefit available which is dependent on the participant meeting all eligibility requirements (This benefit is administered by a contracted provider via the Corporation for National and Community Service).

HOW TO APPLY: Resumes should be sent to: JCNI Human Resources Department at hr@jacobscenter.org, Attention: Charmy Doshi.

We promote equal opportunity in selecting AmeriCorps members. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in the selection process.