Employment and Training Worker I

• Utilizing Motivational Interviewing techniques interviews and evaluates eligible program participants employability to assist participants in achieving self-sufficient and interprets vocational measurement tests.
• Assesses clients employment and education history; identifies employment related skills abilities and barriers; develops goals and plans to improve skills and abilities and overcome barriers; provides career guidance and employment and training counseling; provides labor market information related to local employment possibilities; and as appropriate refers clients to employment related educational and training opportunities.
• Refers clients to other staff members or to community resources for direct and intensive services and specialized counseling as necessary; advocates on clients behalf for most appropriate services including enabling services.
• Assists applicants and recipients in utilizing available resources.
• Makes home visits in connection with casework assignments.
• Provides community outreach for various agency programs.
• Conducts orientation workshops and one-on-one training for new and returning program participants.
• Reads comprehends and applies complex regulations rules policies and procedures including the federal Work Participation Rate.
• Participates in development and implementation of program strategies to increase the federal Work Participation Rate.
• Explains relevant program regulations rules and policies to clients and the general public.
• Presents information on available programs to community organizations the general public and employers during job fairs community partner presentations and one-on-one.
• Conducts ongoing research to identify labor market information and employment and training opportunities for program participants; and establishes and maintains contacts with regional employers and training providers.
• Completes and processes disbursement of funds documents for clients authorized supportive services i.e. childcare and transportation.
• Places clients into appropriate paid and/or non-paid work training assignments and monitors performance and progress.
• Completes and processes documents correspondence and reports for authorized supportive services manually or using an automated system.
• Operates a personal computer including software programs and an automated system to enter and retrieve data manage individual client cases and overall caseload compile statistical reports and perform other assigned duties.
• Maintains regular contact with clients to monitor each clients completion of tasks and progress toward attaining goals that will lead to securing employment and compliance with program requirements.
• Documents evidence of individual clients compliance or non-compliance with program rules and regulations and follows procedures related to the imposition of sanctions.
• Performs a variety of clerical duties related to organizing prioritizing and scheduling assignments; meeting deadlines; completing forms reports and other documents; maintaining automated and manual files and logs; managing client cases; and fulfilling other responsibilities as required.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative effective working relationships with program participants; department employees; regional employers educational facilities trainers and all others who are program stakeholders and supporters.
• May assess family situation to determine if Family Stabilization services are appropriate.
• May develop Family Stabilization service plan with family and service providers.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

• Analyzes financial information and eligibility information to determine initial or continuing eligibility for multiple aid programs.
• Enters and retrieves numerical and narrative data and issues benefits from an automated computer system.
• Assists clients in accessing community services.
• Organizes caseload so that necessary case records and documents are processed and updated within specific time limits established by regulation and local policy.

• General goals and purpose of employment preparation and training programs and public social services programs.
• Effective and appropriate career vocational and employment counseling techniques.
• Occupational fields and regional labor market trends for private and public sector employers.
• Services provided within the department or agency that program participants may require and the procedure for referring participants for those services.
• Local and regional socio-economic conditions.
• Characteristics customs and unique needs of local ethnic/cultural populations.
• Basic principles of individual and family behaviors that impact and/or contribute to family stability and self-sufficiency.
• Basic principles involved in the growth and development of personality and in-group processes.
• Department and community resources available to program participants.
• Computer terminology and computer keyboard arrangement.

• Apply techniques and methods for conducting successful employment-related interviews record keeping and standard office procedures.
• Elicit factual information from prospective and current program participants who may exhibit behavior indicative of those experiencing deprivation and/or emotional difficulties.
• Interpret financial information and make basic arithmetical computations.
• Accurately gather record and evaluate data necessary for the implementation of appropriate employment preparation and training programs.
• Prepare reports forms plans and agreements required by program rules regulations policies and procedures
• Establish effective engagement with clients; use fact-finding techniques and perform in-depth and interactive interviewing.
• Listen to clients and develop professional rapport in order to determine the underlying barriers to employment.
• Obtain facts and recognize the relevance and significance; analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action.
• Plan and organize caseload to ensure that deadlines and regulations regarding time limits are met.
• Read understand apply and explain complicated and detailed correspondence and reports regulations and policy directives.
• Determine appropriate course of action in emergency situations.
• Enter information accurately into a computerized system and navigate effectively through automated multi-screen client record system.
• Identify client problems that require referral to other social or community resources.
• Speak and write in a clear and concise manner using correct English.
• Read comprehend apply and follow complex rules regulations policies procedures and other written instructions including the policies procedures and programs of the Social Services Department.
• Prepare standard reports forms plans and agreements required by program rules regulations policies and procedures.
• Use tact and diplomacy when communicating with all persons including those with different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
• Identify and assess program participants employment barriers and develop individual participant plans for securing employment.
• Monitor individual participants compliance with program regulations and when appropriate implement required sanctions.
• Regularly evaluate individual participants progress toward meeting established goals for securing employment; use appropriate methods to motivate and encourage participants and when necessary to counsel participants who have not met goals or expectations.
• Coach individual participants in how to prepare for a job interview and meet future employers job performance expectations.
• Present training workshops to groups of program participants.
• Establish maintain and manage complex records.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers supervisory and managerial staff; area employers who are willing to employ program participants; community based services providers of child care transportation and other services where program participants are required to attain employment goals; and all others with whom contact is made during the normal course of business.
• Operate office equipment such as a personal computer (including automated systems databases word processing spreadsheets and electronic communications programs) calculator and photocopier.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• A valid drivers license will be required at the time of interview. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Positions require pre-employment screening including background checks and fingerprinting.
• Government agencies accessing US government information which includes federal tax information must ensure that background investigation requirements for all agency employees and contractors that have access to federal tax information are consistent to the IRS background investigation requirements for access to federal tax information. A background check is required for all Social Services positions. Background requirements consist of three components which include fingerprinting citizenship verification and local law enforcement checks. Applicable agencies must conduct investigations during time of hire and ensure a reinvestigation is conducted 5 years from the date of the previous background investigation for each employee that has access to federal tax information.
• Lake County is required to verify Employment and Education if a conditional offer of employment is made to an applicant.
• Lake County offers: Flexible Office Hours available for most positions; Monday Friday with a variety of schedules between 6:30am - 7:00pm.
• Work remotely from home available for some positions upon Lake County Department of Social Services Approval.