JOB CLASSIFICATION: Mentoring and Employer Engagement Specialist

PROGRAM: Employer Engagement and Partnerships

COMPANY: Skills for Change

LOCATION: 791 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto ON

REPORTS TO: Supervisor, Employer Engagement & Partnerships

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent

HOURS: 35 hours per week (Monday-Friday with occasional evening and/or weekend hours)

RATE: $27.00

START DATE: Immediately

COMPANY:

Located on the traditional territories of the Mississauga’s of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, Skills for Change is working towards advancing the Sustainable Development Goals for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Named Charity Village’s Best Non-Profit Employer - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and winner of the 2021 Canada Volunteer Awards for innovation, our organization is committed to reducing poverty, improve mental health, eliminating gender-based violence, building community, eradicating systemic racism, and settling and creating sustainable communities for all immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities. Start your career with SfC and join our 40-year history of creating innovative programming to build welcoming and equitable communities.

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:

Founded in 1982, Skills for Change is a leading non-profit organization serving immigrants and refugees in Canada. Our mission is to build welcoming and equitable communities. Skills for Change is known for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. We create skills development opportunities for immigrants and refugees to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community. Our Agency has played a major role in uplifting immigrant and equity-seeking communities for 40 years. As one of the leading holistic service providers in our sector, Skills for Change offers more than 25 programs and services, and annually serves 16,000 people who are newcomers, immigrants, and equity-seeking groups in services around employment, integration, mental health, leadership, entrepreneurship, and more.

Skills for Change is working to:

  • Reduce poverty through decent jobs,

  • Settle newcomers to build a life in Canada,

  • Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing,

  • Build skills to promote increased labor market freedom,

  • Advocate for environmentally sustainable and healthy communit

  • Combat social and professional isolation through mentorship and networking,

  • Help underserved seniors to make friends and be digitally safe,

  • Empower entire communities to work towards eradicating systemic racism,

  • Provide youth with equal access to opportunities,

  • Promote gender equality.

PROGRAM NATURE AND SCOPE:

The need to support more diverse apprentices is apparent and Skills for Change is the ideal organization to lead a program focused on advancing the diversity in skilled trades apprenticeships. Building on over 15 years of experience developing and implementing programming for women in the trades and pre-apprenticeship sectors, and through partnership development in Nova Scotia, BC, Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba, SfC is delivering a program for immigrant and racialized women with a focus on the following Red Seal trades, plumbing, welding, carpentry, horticulture with specialized leadership training, networking, mentorship and mental health supports to help build a holistic pathway to employment in the trades. As such, we are looking for someone to support the development and execution of workshops and in-person networking events across 3 provinces for women in Skilled Trades pathways, as well as being responsible for executing multiple small to medium events that support our sustainability programming. Events include media launches, symposiums, recruitment and/or community events and fundraising initiatives. This position reports to our Manager of Events and Communications, and works collaboratively with internal departments, event participants, committees, vendors and event donors to organize events that increase Skills for Change’s profile.

The ideal candidate has:

  • A passion for supporting the successful integration of refugees and immigrants into the Canadian workforce.

  • Knowledge of the skilled trades sector and labour market trends and opportunities for women and newcomers

  • Proven experience in program development, particularly in designing and implementing effective mentoring and employer engagement strategies.

  • A track record of building and maintaining strong relationships with employers, industry associations, and community agencies.

  • Strong business acumen and the ability to identify and leverage opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

  • Excellent networking and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at various levels.

  • Demonstrated proficiency in client relationship management, employing diverse sales approaches, and implementing successful recruitment strategies.

  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively convey complex information to diverse audiences.

  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

  • A solid understanding of the current labor market, including employer expectations, in-demand skills, and education requirements.

  • Empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by refugees and immigrants.

  • A commitment to continuous learning, staying updated on market trends, and being proactive in identifying opportunities for skills and education training.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Contribute to the development and implementation of innovative strategies to enhance the impact of our mentoring and employer engagement initiatives Identify and cultivate relationships with Canada-wide non-profit organizations, employer partners and community partners that can help us expand the reach and impact of our trades programs.

  • Develop and implement strategies to build and maintain positive relationships with partners, including regular communication, collaboration on joint projects, and participation in partner events and activities.

  • Work closely with our program teams to understand the needs of job seekers in the trades sector and identify opportunities for partnership with employers.

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for partner organizations, responding to inquiries, addressing concerns, and providing excellent customer service.

  • Continually review and improve the employer engagement and mentoring framework, ensuring it aligns with the organization's goals and objectives.

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with employers to secure their involvement in trades programs for mentoring and employment..

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive employer engagement strategy to attract a diverse range of employers and create meaningful opportunities for clients.

  • Identify and pursue partnerships with employers, industry associations, and community agencies to expand referral networks and enhance employer engagement.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

  • Strong all-round written and verbal communication skills.

  • Ability to write and speak in a second language is considered an asset (French, Hindi, Farsi, Yoruba, Swahili, Chinese etc).

  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collectively in a diverse and dynamic team environment.

  • Strong planning and organization skills with ability to prioritize deliverables

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

  • Post-Secondary degree in marketing, administration, social services, immigrant settlement, or a related discipline.

  • A minimum of 2 years of experience in client relationship management, recruitment strategies, and marketing to employers using diverse sales approaches.

  • Strong facilitation and employment counseling skills, with experience in vocational counseling being an asset.

  • Excellent interpersonal and client-focused skills, with a positive attitude towards change.

  • Proven ability to develop goals and action plans in collaboration with program participants.

  • Exceptional verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.

  • Proficiency in MS Office, Google Suite, and the ability to create and deliver compelling presentations.

  • Excellent time management and teamwork skills.

  • Knowledge of the current labor market, employer expectations, and training and education requirements.

  • Understanding of the unique challenges and concerns faced by refugees and immigrants.

PLEASE SEND YOUR APPLICATION TO: hr@skillsforchange.org

Skills for Change provides learning and training opportunities for immigrants, refugees and equity seeking groups to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community to persons with disabilities to newcomers to Canada (including refugees) to Indigenous peoples to members

of a visible minority to children or youth to seniors to the LGBTQ2 community.

Skills for Change offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in each stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise if you require accommodation. This document is available in alternate format on request.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.