IT Learning Coach (Alternative Direct Service)

OVERVIEW:

Reporting to the Program Director (Alternative Direct Service), the Learning Coach (Alternative Direct Service) is a critical team member of the Year Up Philadelphia. The ADS approach has the same goal as Year Up’s direct service program – to connect Opportunity Youth to career-track jobs – but we are focused on doing this in a rapidly scalable way. The model is a high-touch blended environment, technology-enabled throughout. In this seven month model (three months of Learning & Development and four months of Work Immersion), we use a streamlined staffing model to engage our participants, focused on the critical elements of learner support and development. The model is hybrid, requiring direct virtual and in-person interaction with community partners, staff, and participants.

The Learning Coach is responsible for training and coaching participants that have been assigned to their learning track (IT or Business Fundamentals), with the ultimate mission of providing high-quality service to participants as they prepare for work immersion and careers. The Learning Coach will be focused on the technical skills training and individual coaching of track participants, leveraging their expertise in their respective field. Training and coaching will take place during weekly instructional seminars and 1:1 coaching sessions.

The Learning Coach will work collaboratively with other Program staff to ensure the site achieves learning, development targets and high-quality program outcomes. Under the guidance of the Program Director, they will work to foster a structured and supportive cohort, as well as encouraging participant-to-participant connections to expand their learning, support network, and sense of belonging in an online educational program.

Year Up Philadelphia is a fast-paced environment, constantly evolving to serve the talent and market needs. The following are team traits that will be vital to success in this role:

• Willingness to work in a dynamic, challenging team environment, helping to come up with improved solutions
• A growth mindset, comfortable with failing fast
• Ability to think creatively and innovatively and challenge orthodoxies, to do things differently
• Accepts change as an important part of Year Up’s culture, and inquires how their role can design, manage, drive and support change
• Commitment to engaging with technology systems and enablement strategies to improve operations
• Willingness to tackle a wide range of tasks and wear many hats to get the job done

The ideal candidate will be a strong and effective communicator who can expertly navigate a variety of responsibilities and provide high support. The candidate will have a passion for working with participants and have extensive knowledge of how to deliver an academic program with quality in an online environment, including but not limited to an understanding of the principles of adult learning, how to effectively remove barriers to learning, and how to support and engage participants in an open/flipped classroom environment. The ideal candidate is tech- savvy and able to thrive in a dynamic, complex start-up and/or entrepreneurial environment.

The Learning Coach will primarily interact with participants as a technical skills coach, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in creating and sustaining a positive environment, with trust among participants and staff. Please note that this role is remote-hybrid, and Greater Philadelphia is the market we serve. The candidate would need to live near or in Greater Philadelphia.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Drive Participant Success

• Serve as a role model by reflecting and maintaining Year Up culture and embodying our values and operating principles while preparing participants for work immersion
• Ensure that Year Up participants are “career ready” upon completion of program through technical skill focused coaching sessions facilitated throughout the program
• Facilitate weekly instructional support seminars in the open/flipped classroom format, complementing the online learning experience
• Conduct weekly 1:1 coaching sessions, providing an additional layer of technical skill support
• Provide data on technical performance and skill development through assessments for participants; collaborate with PD and ADoP to synthesize/report out on trends (ex. participant performance, participant community engagement, coaching participation, etc.)

Job Readiness Coaching

• Ensure that Year Up participants are “graduate ready” upon completion of career-focused trainings conducted in all phases of the program
• Hold as-needed 1-on-1 check-ins with participants to provide feedback and help them navigate challenges during their work immersion and transition to the first job after graduation
• Track, analyze and report out on key skill and performance trends, throughout both training and work immersion phases

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Extensive work with Year Up’s target population (18-30 years of age) in high stakes environments with clear performance outcome measures
• Interest in working in a fast-paced, dynamic, complex start-up and/or entrepreneurial environment
• Subject matter expertise in select specialty training area – IT, hardware troubleshooting, and desktop support
• Ability and high comfort level in having one-on-one coaching conversations with staff and participants alike
• Technologically savvy: demonstrated ability to learn to use new technology; experience with online learning – tracking and communication, facilitation of meetings/sessions in a virtual environment, a plus
• Demonstrated knowledge of job coaching, career counseling, job training and/or enterprise staffing requirements
• Demonstrated experience facilitating workforce readiness curriculum and trainings with a commitment to asset-based adult learning principles
• A professional and resourceful style with the ability to work independently, organize information, and handle routine administrative tasks
• Sound judgment, maturity and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Demonstrated knowledge managing a CRM; Salesforce.com experience preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• A passion for working with participants, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Salary: Competitive and commensurate with relevant experience and skills.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.
• Professional Development: Funds available to support staff in achieving career objectives ($2,500 per year)

This is an exempt role (paid on a salaried basis).

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults-no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country-a gap that Year Up is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up’s intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up has directly served more than 35,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up’s nationwide presence includes Arizona, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.

Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

Year Up actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to our young adults as we work to close the Opportunity Divide. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive work environment. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/

As an equal opportunity employer, Year Up is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.

Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We respectfully request no phone calls.

COVID-19 UPDATE:

To ensure the safety of our young adults, staff, and families as we return to in-person work, Year Up requires that all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 2, 2022, unless someone qualifies for an exception. The vaccination deadline for our Seattle staff is November 1, 2021. Subject to reasonable accommodations for individuals with medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated. Face masks and physical distancing are also required in Year Up spaces.