Career & College Pathways Manager
Position Summary:
This is a full-time, year-round, grant funded Career & College Pathways Manager position for the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (“the Collaborative”). This position includes the design, implementation, and management of at least two career and college pathways for high school students across 5 school districts in Southwest Colorado, including Durango, Archuleta, Bayfield, Ignacio, and Silverton. This role will focus on the current Building Trades pathway and will adopt another future career pathway once identified. These pathways will encompass elements of academic advising, work based learning options, summer programming, industry relationship building, and professional development offerings to school stakeholders.
Program & Position Overview:
In November 2020, the Collaborative received a RISE Grant through the Office of the Governor of Colorado. Comprised of five school districts in southwest Colorado (Archuleta, Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio, and Silverton), and two institutions of higher education (Pueblo Community College and Fort Lewis College), the Collaborative was formed to address areas of common need for students in the region, allowing them to access additional opportunities for post-secondary success. In partnership with the five school districts, two higher education partners, and local community partners, the Collaborative plans to reimagine college and career pathways by partnering in a more deliberate and coherent way to ensure high quality programming is available to all students in the region, while piloting two new pathways in response to community need: Building Trades and the Environment.
To support this program, the Collaborative is seeking a candidate who is both prepared and excited to serve as a Career & College Pathways Manager. Ideally, we are seeking candidates who possess a background in education, work based learning, and a preference for understanding Building Trades career pathways.
Essential Functions
This is a full-time position that will work year-round, and includes the design, implementation, and management of at least two career and college pathways. These pathways will encompass elements of academic advising, work based learning options, summer programming, industry relationship building, and professional development offerings to school stakeholders.
Key functions include developing, directing, implementing, monitoring, and continually improving our initial Building Trades pathway with the future adoption of a second career pathway once identified. Additionally this role will work closely with the other Pathways Manager to continue to build out the framework and structure for successful pathway implementation. Responsibilities that align with the Building Trades pathway and identified future pathway include:
- Recruit and manage Building Trade and future pathway advisors
- Present current information about pathways to multiple stakeholders
- Act as the main point of contact for Building Trade and future pathway programs. This includes but is not limited to: students, high school teachers, higher education institutions, and external partners/consultants
- Build with support academic advising materials for school districts to utilize during advising of pathways
- Create and execute professional development sessions for teachers and counselors about academic advising for students
- Conduct support events focused on course selection, concurrent enrollment, and pathways
- Identify and conduct outside of school recruitment opportunities (i.e. Latino churches, Big Brother Big Sisters career fair)
- In Conjunction with Pathway Managers, build and execute Career Fair for pathway participation
- Manage data tracking information for each pathway
- Develop new employer partners and maintain existing partnerships with local businesses and organizations
- In Conjunction with Pathway Managers, support the development and execution of a workplace skills “boot camp” for high school students as preparation for work-based learning experiences
- Oversee resume prep, interview prep, and interview process to ensure strong match with employer partners and the greatest opportunity for success
- Perform quality checks on placements to ensure safety and quality experience for both the student and business partner
- In Conjunction with other Pathway Managers develop and revise the workplace skills curriculum continually
- Develop and revise program operational plan (including scaling, transportation, workers comp, and transportation support), policy, and procedures
- Identify and implement evaluation tools, gather and interpret data, and create reports based on information generated from participants and supervisors
- Provide staff information sessions to teachers/counselors about employer feedback competencies
- Train supplemental school staff to help case manage work-based learning experiences if necessary, and evaluate effectiveness of supplemental school-based trainers, as needed.
- Update training manuals, marketing materials and other work-based learning-related documents
- Other duties as assigned
Skills & Qualifications:
- Desire to develop, manage and implement an innovative year-long program
- Bachelor's Degree with a preference for a focus in education
- Possess high level organizational and communication skills
- Experience in project-based learning models
- Demonstrated ability with collaboration, flexibility, vision, and implementation skills
- Experience as a project and/or program manager
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Strong understanding of and commitment to equity and inclusion
- Ability to create, refine, and implement systems and processes to improve operations
- Strong Relationship Manager
- Ability to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders in multiple contexts
- Demonstrated success with building and implementing multi-district events and programs
- Attention to the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education
Preferred Qualifications:
- Background work in diversity, equity, and inclusion in education or other field
- Experience in secondary education
- Understanding of academic advising practices
- Background in fields related to Building Trades
- Experience managing personal and/or external consultants
Compensation:
Salary range is $50,000- $60,000 for a 12 month grant funded position with a comprehensive benefits package including: a health care stipend, worker's compensation, short-term disability, and up to a 3% match for retirement.