Retail Employment Coach

**You are the right person for this role if you**:

- are motivated to work towards a sustainable barrier-free community where everyone is equipped with tools and opportunities to discover their purpose and reach their highest potential;
- are energized by providing the opportunity for young women and young gender-diverse people to gain financial stability by building employment skills through work experience in a bricks & clicks retail setting;
- excel at coaching youth ages 15-30 to identify their areas of challenge and overcome barriers by developing a broad range of life skills, employability skills and labour market knowledge in order to participate in the current and future labour market

This position supports the Training and Employment Services Department of YW Kitchener-Waterloo to deliver Youth Employment and Skills Strategies (YESS) training program to young women & gender diverse people aged 15-30 who are seeking assistance to overcome employment barriers. These barriers may include, but are not limited to, challenges faced by disabilities and mental illness, single or solo parenting, incomplete schooling, discrimination, recent immigration, lack of coping and life skills, and facing homelessness or unsafe housing situations.

**Key Responsibilities**:
** Job Coaching**:

- Perform coaching and mentoring activities in retail-based customer service, de-escalating situations with customers, brick-and-mortar marketing techniques, inventory and accountancy tracking.
- Perform coaching and mentoring in digital literacy activities such as website design/editing, product photography and social media content creation.
- Provide coordination and support to YW Thrift Boutique in person & online store placement including coordinating participant activities related to work experience in the social enterprise; assisting with financial and sales reporting for YW Thrift Boutique.
- Assist youth participants to perform on the job training at the brick and mortar store and online store, YW Thrift Boutique, and other internal Quality Employment Opportunities.
- Identify employment goals and learning opportunities within YW Thrift Boutique to overcome the barriers to their success
** Programming Curriculum**:

- Assist with designing and facilitating learning opportunities for youth with barriers to financial security by facilitating training to gain retail and e-commerce/digital literacy skills
- Adapt instructional strategies and materials according to the needs of the participants and/or the employer partners to stimulate class discussion and student engagement
- Ensure learning outcomes are clear and achievable
- Design and facilitate employment-related workshops
** Networking and Outreach**:

- Marketing for YW Thrift & In Her Shoes programming
- Assists with initiating and fostering relationships with various stakeholders, training providers and corporate leaders to identify opportunities, develop supports, provide employment opportunities and track successes
- Assist with participant’s job maintenance and retention upon graduation
** Supporting Participants**:

- Assist the participants to develop and enhance their life and employment skills through coaching and individualized support
- Assist participants with such matters as job readiness skills, job search strategies, writing résumés and preparing for job interviews
- Assist youth to make successful transitions into the labour market or school
** Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting**:

- Assist in evaluating, monitoring and documenting participants’ progress and activities
- Assist with identifying barriers to employment and assist clients with such matters as job readiness skills, job search strategies and preparing for job interviews
** Other projects, duties, and responsibilities as reasonably assigned**

**Skills, Qualifications, & Requirements**:

- Valid degree/diploma/certificate/ in Career Development, Job Development, Human Resources, Business Management, Marketing and/or a combination of related work and academic experience (required)
- Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in the following:

- Retail or e-commerce work environments and supervisory or training positions
- Digital marketing or social media management considered an asset
- Ability to work in a performance-based system with a proven track record of meeting targets and deadlines in a fast-paced environment with mínimal supervision
- Knowledge of instructional methods and experience developing and delivering training content to the target demographic with excellent presentation skills
- High level of human relations and negotiation skills to establish and maintain appropriate communication links with participants, partners and stakeholders
- Proficiency in Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides and Classroom) and Microsoft Office 365, online social marketing platforms and online software programs
- Ability to think independently, set priorities and resolve problems effectively
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