The Summer Student Placement Specialist (SSPS) will be responsible for connecting students between the ages of 15-30 to employers in their community. The target will be to serve 100 students. The SSPS will actively recruit students through existing partners, youth workers, and the local high schools and post- secondary institutions.  While all students will be provided with service, special emphasis will be placed on recruiting students with social or employment barriers including literacy and numeracy and students who are members of a visible minority. Success will be defined by placing 70% of the student participants into paid employment or career-related volunteer placements. SSPS staff will survey all employers and student participants for feedback on the experience via a survey through survey monkey. 

What you’ll be doing: 

Student Engagement 

• Implements the student engagement strategy 

• Visits local high schools to promote the program 

• Connects with students via social media 

• Develops an online registration form for student job seekers to complete. 

• Supports students to connect with summer jobs in the community 

• Conducts a screening interview in order to match student’s interests to employer’s needs where applicable 

Employer Engagement 

• Develops a summer jobs outreach plan with the wider WorkBC team 

• Develops a marketing package to present to employers to actively solicit job postings for students 

• Meets with employers to present marketing package 

• Actively markets our job posting service to employers 

• Part of community events to promote services 

• Collaborates with the wider team to organize a student hiring fair 

• Matches suitable student job seekers to vacant jobs or volunteer opportunities 

• Follows up in weeks 1 and 4 of the job with both the employer and students to ensure success in the workplace 

• Conducts job search 101, resume and interview workshops for all student job seekers 

• Connects with student job seekers while job seeking  

Administration 

• Records all client information, contacts and updates in the Summer Student Tracker 

• Works with an employer database with key contacts 

• Documents all employer contacts 

What you’ll need: 

• Candidates will preferably be post-secondary students in a related discipline 

• Comfortable in delivering presentations/workshops 

• Comfortable cold calling employers 

• Strong team player 

• Ability to work in a flexible environment and relate well with others 

• Must have excellent computer skills.  

• A valid clear criminal record check (including working with vulnerable populations) is required. 

What we offer:  We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total compensation package:  

• extended medical and dental benefits   

• a defined benefit pension plan  

• flexible working arrangements for applicable positions  

• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members  

• free membership to our Health + Fitness Centre, discounts at our YWCA Hotel and priority in YWCA Child Care centres  

• a workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and wellbeing, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our staff mentorship program and three equity committees who help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.  

This position is funded by the Canada Summer Jobs Grant.