Vocational Partnership Specialist (AmeriCorps/VISTA), YouthBuild Charter School

Posted by YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School on May 25, 2015

The full-time AmeriCorps/VISTA Vocational Partnership Specialist serves a 12-month  term (July 24, 2015 to July 23, 2016) at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, an alternative 12th-Grade-only, diploma-granting high school for high-school dropouts ages 18 to 21.

To apply, send letter of interest and resume to Frederick Bader, Human Resources Coordinator, at fbader@youthbuildphilly.org with the words “VISTA Vocational Partnership Specialist” in the subject line. No phone calls, please.

YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School
1231 North Broad Street, 5th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19122
http://www.youthbuildphilly.org

Background
The YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School is an education and job-training program for young adults who have dropped out of high school. Students in the program alternate five-week sessions between the classroom site, where they attend academic classes and develop leadership and life skills, and a vocational-training site (including building trades, computer technology, nursing, and child-care) where they develop career-related, real-world work skills. Originally chartered in 1997, the School enrolls approximately 220 students each year.

Mission
Our mission is to provide out of school youth in Philadelphia with the broadest range of tools supports and opportunities available to become self sufficient, responsible and productive citizens in their community. The emphasis is on transitioning them successfully so that they will succeed in top-quality training schools, colleges, union apprenticeship programs, other careers and the competitive world beyond.

Core Values
* Excellence * Perseverance * Respect *

The Vocational Partnership Specialist will develop sustainable partnerships with organizations that support our students’ service requirements and educational goals. To do this, the Specialist will create job-readiness and employment opportunities for students, by—
 replicating the School’s existing partnerships with employers and service partners, particularly in retail and customer service
 planning and executing “Café @YB” events for our Customer-Service students that brings customer-service-oriented employers to the School to meet School staff and students
 setting up a database of on-the-job training placements for students
 tracking: leads on potential partnerships, student-placement status, and feedback from students’ on-the-job training managers
 maintaining and enhancing existing partnerships to institutionalize them, and gathering data about those existing partnership-activities which make them successful.

Benefits
 a living (pre-tax) allowance of $12,312 annually ($473 bi-weekly),
 an education award of $5,350 upon successful completion of term of service,
 college-loan forbearance with interest accrual payment,
 child care coverage (if applicable), and
 health benefits.

Requirements

Successful applicants must:
 Be a college graduate who is—
o proficient with Excel
o research-focused
o detail-oriented, and
o passionate about serving at-risk populations
 Be available to attend a mandatory VISTA Pre-Service Orientation in Philadelphia, July 20-23, 2015.
 Be in a position to offer full-time service for one year (July 24, 2015 – July 23, 2016).
 Be willing to live among, and at the economic level of, the low-income people served by the project and have a desire to provide needed community services to an underserved community.
 Be a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident status.
 Not listed in the National Sex Offender Registry database as convicted of a sex-related crime.
 Be able to exhibit previous education, training, military, or work experience, and any other relevant skills or interests necessary to perform a specific VISTA assignment.
 Understand that VISTAs serve on a full-time basis and cannot be the subject of legal proceedings (civil or criminal) that may consume time needed for their assignments.