Youth Specialist

DREAM, BELIEVE, ACHIEVE!

At the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy our mission is to empower at-risk youth to improve their educational levels and employment potential and become responsible and productive Washingtonians. The Academy envisions a world where young adults are equipped and respected as equal partners in building resilience in their families and communities.

If our mission resonates with you and you are seeking a meaningful career that will have a positive lasting impact on the youth we serve, we invite you to apply for the position of Youth Academy Residential Specialist 2 (Cadre Team Member) where you will work in a diverse, inclusive, team-oriented environment while helping at-risk youth get their lives back on track.

Some of what you'll be doing:

• Providing direction and guidance to the Cadet Corps members (Cadets) on a 24/7 basis.
• Participating in screening, interviewing and selecting applicants for admission into the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy (WYCA) program.
• Assisting in preparing the Academy facilities, supplies, and equipment for program activities and participates in planning, coordination, and set-up of recurring and special events.

Who we are:

The WYCA was established under the authority and guidelines of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. This is a voluntary program which includes a 22-week residential phase followed by a 24-month post-residential mentoring phase. The purpose of the program is to provide a highly disciplined, safe and professional learning environment that empowers at-risk youth to improve their educational levels and become responsible and productive citizens of the State of Washington. The National Guard Challenge Program is one of the most successful alternative education programs designed for high school dropouts or youth that are not progressing in a traditional high school setting and has graduated over 179,000 Cadets to date.

To learn more about the Washington Military Department and the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy visit www.mil.wa.gov/youth-academy

What makes WYCA a great place to work?

• Work that matters-building character, enriching lives, one Cadet at a time!
• Leadership that empowers and supports employees
• A comprehensive benefit package that includes employer contributions toward health insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans, sick leave and vacation days. Visit http://careers.wa.gov/benefits.htmlfor more information.
• Tuition Discount! Washington State Employees are eligible for a 10% tuition discount with Western Governors University (WGU) for Bachelor's & Master's Degree programs in Business; Information Technology; Healthcare and Education.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
• Support for employee growth and development

What we're looking for:

REQUIRED
High school graduation or GED equivalent and one year of experience working with at-risk youth or related experience such as youth services, social services, military, education or law enforcement.

Two years of college may substitute for required experience.

Applicants are required to apply through the State’s Online Recruiting System which can be accessed at:

www.careers.wa.gov

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Physical Demands:
Skills & Abilities to:

• Routinely work a 40-hour week to provide ongoing customer and program support.
• Obtain and maintain a basic first aid and CPR certification.
• Execute a full range of physical motions; walk or stand for long periods of time; work outside in all types of weather.
• Manual dexterity – Writing, light keyboarding, and use of a personal computer/software related to word processing.
• May require periods of great physical effort in completing essential functions and / or responding to situations/issues when Cadet safety/security is involved.

Physical Abilities Test:

• Able to participate in and pass a pre-employment physical fitness and agility standardized test and annual re-certification tests thereafter, in accordance with program requirements. The assessment consists of the following:
• Emergency Response Test
• Physical Fitness Demonstration Test
• 15-minute continuous run without stopping, walking, or speed walking.

Candidates are encouraged to read the Physical Abilities Test Packet that provides a detailed explanation regarding the assessment. This can be found at http://mil.wa.gov/uploads/pdf/youth-academy/cadre_physical_fitness_assesment-pre-employment.pdf (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader)

Character:
Youth Academy Residential Specialists (YARS) are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of Cadets in the residential phase of the program and for role modeling the behavior expected from those Cadets. As such it is imperative that YARS have basic character traits of honesty, courtesy, tact, cooperation, professional appearance and bearing.

Academy Location: Bremerton, WA

Pay Range - Annual Salary: $56,880 - $61,404

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $56,880.00 - $61,404.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $56,880 - $61,404