Pre-Employment Program Specialist
Pre-Employment Program Specialist
About Partners for Youth with Disabilities The mission of Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) is to empower youth with disabilities to reach their full potential by providing transformative mentoring programs, youth development opportunities, and inclusion expertise. PYD motivates youth to reach their personal, educational, and career goals, and guides organizations in becoming more inclusive to youth with disabilities.
PYD is a pioneer in its space. Founded in 1985 – a full five years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act – PYD began as a one-to-one mentoring program for youth with disabilities, providing these youth with adult role models and, through these mentors, an extended support system. Over the past 35+ years, PYD has established itself as a national, highly sought-after leader in its field, with a reputation for delivering innovative and high-quality programs and services. PYD empowers more than 500 youth annually through direct service programs and has delivered inclusion best practices training to more than 10,000 individuals across 300+ organizations, spanning 13 states. PYD delivers impact at both the local and national levels, including:
- Award-winning programs serving youth ages six to twenty-six experiencing a broad range of disabilities across Massachusetts, including Mentoring, Career Readiness, Access to Theater, Young Leader’s Rising, and the Youth Leadership Forum.
- The Career Readiness Academy, which provides PYD’s highly renowned Career Readiness curriculum, start-up training, evaluation, and technical assistance to partner organizations and schools across 13 states.
- The National Disability Mentoring Coalition, which leverages the networks and collective influence of 550+ membership organizations to raise awareness of the importance and impact of mentoring in the lives of people with disabilities, and to increase the number and quality of disability mentoring programs around the country.
- The Disability Mentoring Certification Program, the first training program of its kind for mentoring programs and professionals.
- Live trainings, audits, and learn.pyd.org, all focused on increasing the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities across the country.
Headquartered in Boston, MA, Partners for Youth with Disabilities has a staff of 32 and an annual budget of $2M+. A highly engaged, mission-driven, 14-member Board of Directors partners with the leadership team to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the organization. With an exceptionally strong reputation at the forefront of the field, an established set of programs delivered in Massachusetts, and a solid foundation of national work, PYD is poised to continue to significantly expand the organization’s leadership position, reach, and impact – at the individual, organizational, and societal level. This is a hybrid role, with the expectation of work at our office or in the community at least half the days of the week.
Opportunity Going Forward
The Pre-Employment Program Specialist is an existing position reporting to the Career Readiness Program Manager who is critical to ensuring PYD’s mission is realized. To that end, the Specialist is responsible for delivering positive youth development programming and supporting the administrative functions necessary to ensure effective service delivery.
Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate
- Legally authorized to work in the U.S.
- Passionate about working with youth with disabilities, and have an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of PYD
- Able to independently travel across Eastern Massachusetts
- Available for occasional evening and weekend programming
- An excellent verbal and written communicator
- Able to work both collaboratively as part of a team and independently with excellent project management skills
- Relevant experience in the fields of health or human services, education, social work, vocational rehabilitation, psychology, community organizing, marketing, communications, or related field
- Bilingual skill in ASL, Spanish, Haitian Creole or Mandarin
- Experience with community engagement with motivation and aptitude for networking/outreach Experience with marketing including material design, blogging, and social media management
- Experience with data management, and familiarity with Salesforce or an equivalent database
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Essential Responsibilities:
- Provide classroom instruction and support to students during Pre-Employment Program sessions taking place in schools, various community locations, or virtually.
- Differentiate curriculum, incorporating Universal Design for Learning guidelines, as needed for participants based on tier/skill level.
- Provide one to one instruction for students needing additional support to access the curriculum.
- Collaborate with the Outreach Team and team members to determine real world experiences best suited for cohort of students.
- Lead one day community based real-world experiences with employer, community, or education partners.
- Assist Outreach Team with student intakes, program outreach and enrollment while collaborating with the Program Manager.
- Maintain accurate record of work including weekly case notes and attendance records using data management systems.
- Assist with program data collection and evaluation.
- Complete required reporting for MRC including individual participant reports.
- Collaborate with Outreach Coordinator to ensure successful onboarding process for student internships.
Marginal Responsibilities:
- Attend monthly staff meetings, quarterly National Disability Mentoring Coalition meetings, and team meetings and supervision
- Contribute to the newsletter, blog, social media content, and other promotional collateral
- Support the planning and management of PYD community and fundraising events
- Assist with grant reports and proposals as necessary
- Assist with special projects as they occur
- Provide support to students participating in internship experiences, including weekly in-person or virtual check-ins with each intern and internship site supervisors.
- Review interns’ goals and discuss internship expectations and responsibilities.
Diversity and Inclusion At Partners for Youth with Disabilities, we are committed to equal opportunity and the diversity of our workforce, and strongly encourage diverse applicants to apply. We strive for our staff to be representative of the full diversity of the youth and families we serve.
Compensation and Benefits:
The Pre-Employment Program Specialist is a non-exempt position with a starting salary range of $40,000-$46,000. PYD provides employees with a generous benefits package that includes a 401(k) retirement plan with 3% employer contribution, FSA and TSA plan, paid time off (vacation, sick, personal, and holidays), health/dental/vision insurance with a generous annual employer contribution, employer-paid life and AD&D insurance, and employer-paid short-term & long-term disability insurance. PYD has implemented a hybrid work schedule and this position is intended to be centered in the Greater Boston area.
Application Process and Additional Information Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of PYD. If taking the job would require a candidate to move to Boston, s/he/they should mention why that is a good fit for them at this time. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.