Advisor and Outreach Director, KELA Workforce and Education Center

The Advisor and Outreach Director will work to support young adults in Kenosha County who have completed high school but have not yet pursued postsecondary education, need guidance in job opportunities, or aspire to grow in their career path.

This role will focus on understanding barriers, identifying opportunities, and connecting individuals to pathways aligned with their career or educational aspirations. Through building relationships, analyzing data, and collaborating with local organizations, the Advisor and Outreach Director will guide individuals toward successful career and educational outcomes. Main objectives will include mapping the current ecosystem of organizations supporting this population, connecting with local employers to discover workforce needs, and working with community partners to make connections to current community resources. The outcome of this position will include a report of research findings. This position is funded by a 3-year grant. Continuation of the role is contingent upon program funding beyond this period.

Key Responsibilities:

• Outreach and Identification: Actively identify Kenosha County residents who have graduated high school without enrolling in postsecondary education, seek to enter the workforce or desire to grow in their career. Collect data to understand the barriers they face and factors influencing their decisions. Actively identify current community resources that support entry to education or the workforce in a comprehensive catalog. Actively engage with local employers to understand the needs of the Kenosha workforce. Engage with KELA partners to understand and support the mission of the center.
• Individualized Pathway Development: Work closely with identified individuals to explore options, provide resources, and connect them to educational, workforce, or career pathways that align with their personal goals and aspirations.
• Relationship Building: Establish and maintain strong partnerships with local organizations, such as the Kenosha County Division of Workforce Development, Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, regional higher education institutions, local businesses and other key community resources. With emphasis on creating personal relationships with members of Kenosha communities. Create relationships among the KELA partners to work in parallel to center goals.
• Data Collection and Record-Keeping: Maintain detailed records of outreach efforts, conversations, observations, and outcomes to track individual progress and overall program impact. Develop databases of relevant populations for outreach and connection to services.
• Reporting: Provide comprehensive quarterly reports to Carthage and KELA constituents related to individual conversations and observations, center work, outcomes, and insights to stakeholders, highlighting key trends and areas for program improvement.
• Community Collaboration: Serve as a resource to the broader Kenosha County communities, supporting and connecting the entire postsecondary population with an emphasis on those without defined pathways. Engage with KELA partners to strengthen the mission of the center. Outcomes: Successful outcomes of this role include developing and documenting a deeper understanding of the needs of members of the Kenosha community as it relates to workforce development and postsecondary education with the ability to document the resulting insights and client successes and/or roadblocks as well as the needs of local employers.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Proven experience in postsecondary education, vocational guidance, workforce development, and/or career coaching.
• Strong data management skills, with the ability to analyze and interpret program data to support decision-making.
• Proven ability to work independently to successfully develop and implement programs and initiatives.
• The ability to identify the center's objectives, establish KPI's, and deliver services concurrently.
• Demonstrated success in independently building relationships with diverse populations, including rural and urban communities.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and build trust across varied demographics.
• Goal-oriented, with a record of accomplishment of achieving objectives and driving program results.
• Project management skills, including planning, organizing, and evaluating center initiatives effectively.
• Ability to design impactful experiences and pathways that resonate with participant goals and the program's mission.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and adaptability. Able to identify and pursue new opportunities as they relate to the development of this role and the center.

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About Carthage

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan in the thriving Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, Carthage College blends the best liberal arts traditions with desirable degree programs, transformative learning opportunities, and personal attention from dedicated faculty and staff. Our beautiful campus, an 80-acre arboretum with stunning lake views, is home to 2,600 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. Founded in 1847, Carthage is consistently named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review and a Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report. All Carthage employees play a vital part in the success of our students, as we work together to create an environment where all can achieve their true potential. Grow with Carthage. Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.

This position requires a background screening