Consultant, Career Pathways Partnerships

Posted by EducationWorks on October 16, 2017

About PowerCorpsPHL
PowerCorpsPHL is a City of Philadelphia AmeriCorps initiative, operated in partnership with EducationWorks. Working closely with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Philadelphia Water Department, and partners in the public and private sector, PowerCorpsPHL builds opportunities for young people to create promising futures by tackling pressing environmental challenges and developing the skills required to secure meaningful work.

PowerCorpsPHL enrolls disconnected young adults and returning citizens in full-time AmeriCorps service as the strategy to provide career-connected education and paid, work experiences that support Philadelphia’s environmental stewardship, youth violence prevention, and workforce development priorities.

Designed as part of the career pathway continuum, PowerCorpsPHL intentionally partners with existing service providers, regional industry, and local government agencies to provide clients with the “last step” needed to achieve self-sufficiency and unsubsidized, long-term success. The PowerCorpsPHL model works to reduce structural barriers hindering an individual’s success while supporting young people directly to chart a path forward, engage in the work of personal growth, and cultivate a positive network of support. Through career-connected education aligned to industry standards and work experiences that simulate industry expectations, PowerCorpsPHL provides young people with authentic opportunities to hone career-specific skills. To support long-term success, the initiative phases its interventions and extends its connection to individuals and partners from initial recruitment to well into the career pathway.

PowerCorpsPHL engages young people in cohorts that start twice per year in early September and early March. Starting in September 2017 with a recent investment from the Lenfest Foundation, PowerCorpsPHL is extending its intervention from 6 months to 12 months with opportunities for early exit starting at month six upon demonstrated readiness for employment. This lengthened approach will create career-specific training tracks that allow members to hone job-specific skills and increase the number and types of industry-recognized credentials members can earn.

Project Overview
PowerCorpsPHL seeks a consultant to expand our employment and training partnerships and develop career pathway partnership building materials for continued use. PowerCorpsPHL is specifically interested in expanding partnerships for subsidized and unsubsidized employment, career-connected training and credentialing, and career exploration and advancement opportunities within and across the following fields:
1. Green Infrastructure: Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI):
inclusive of design, build, operations, and maintenance
2. Green Infrastructure: Watershed Protection:
primarily natural resource restoration to reduce flooding, erosion, and water pollution
3. Green Infrastructure: Sustainable Land Care:
inclusive of sustainable land management, tree care, and urban agriculture
4. Skilled Trades:
inclusive of traditional “grey” infrastructure (construction, electrical, finishing trades, HVAC, etc.) as well as sustainable building management (energy efficiency, waste management and recycling, etc.)
5. Community Outreach
6. Leadership Development

Expected Tasks and Products
1. Review existing career preparation program documents and assess strength of current employer partnerships and relationships with education and training providers.
2. Develop materials that clearly outline engagement opportunities for potential career pathway partners, including employers, as well as education and training institutions
3. Identify 8 to 12 potential employer partners in each of the six targeted fields
4. Develop best practices materials for staff on cultivating industry-specific employer partnerships
5. Engage 60 to 75 potential employer partners on behalf of PowerCorpsPHL
6. Secure a minimum of 50 short term (6 month) subsidized work experiences with non-profit, government and/or private sector employers.
7. Broker 10 to 20 unsubsidized, permanent employment opportunities
8. Develop specific training and onboarding needs for subsidized and unsubsidized employment opportunities

General Timeline*
• Week of October 16, 2017: Project Kick-Off
• Week of October 30, 2017: Submit Deliverables #1 thru #3
• Week of November 13, 2017: Submit Deliverables #4 thru #6
• Week of December 18, 2017: Submit Deliverables #7 and #8
*Subject to change based on finalized scope of work

To Apply
Please email a project proposal to PowerCorpsPHL@educationworks.org that includes:
• A proposed plan of action
• Initial timeline for each task/activity
• Estimate of costs
• Summary of qualifications or resume

Questions
Please direct any questions to Julia Hillengas at juliahillengas@educationworks.org.

[This was emailed to PHENND October 5, 2017.]