The Youth Employment & Mentorship (YEM) Hub is a unified, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive service model that helps youth build the skills, confidence, and experience needed for meaningful employment, cultural connection, and long-term stability. The Hub includes three employment streams - Youth in Care, Multi-Barriered Youth, and Bike Mechanics - and a fourth, Indigenous Mentorship stream, providing holistic and coordinated supports through 1:1 and group-based services to help participants achieve their employment or education goals.

Reporting to the Senior Operations Manager of Youth Employment & Mentorship, Career Advisors deliver front-line, trauma-informed employment services to youth facing a range of barriers. They work with participants 1:1 and in group settings, assessing strengths, identifying barriers, and determining the services and supports needed for meaningful engagement. Career Advisors facilitate workshops, provide individualized coaching, coordinate work placements, and make community referrals to support participants in achieving sustainable employment or pursuing further education. They also manage participant recruitment and readiness assessments, ensuring services are delivered in a participant-centered way that meets program standards, funder requirements, and YWCA values.

What you’ll be doing: 

• Foster supportive, strengths-based relationships with youth aged 15–30. 
• Support participants in developing action plans that identify short and long-term goals, barriers, and strategies using a strengths-based approach.
• Develop and maintain employer partnerships, matching candidates to opportunities based on their strengths and employment goals and achieving outreach and placement targets.
• Provide comprehensive referrals to supports including employment, housing, mental health, substance use, education, finances, and food security.
• Effectively manage behavioral challenges during workshops with empathy, professionalism and appropriate boundaries. 
• Maintain accurate and confidential participant records in accordance with organizational and funder requirements. 
• Deliver individualized employment support, including resume and cover letter development, interview preparation, and job search strategies.
• Facilitate employment opportunities by promoting participants, coordinating interviews, and coaching on effective interview techniques.
• Engage in scheduled team meetings to discuss program updates, participant needs, and collaborative planning. 
• Collaborate with YWCA staff and community partners to support participant recruitment and referrals.  
• Develop and facilitate in-person workshops on employability, job search skills, and related topics.
• Stay current on labour market trends, employment opportunities, community resources, education pathways, and volunteer options.
• Perform other duties as required, including administrative tasks that support effective service delivery.

What you’ll need: 

• Relevant post-secondary education, or a combination of education and work experience, with 2–3 years of experience supporting multi-barriered youth in employment programs, community-based services, or related settings, including Career Advising or Employment Counselling.  
• Demonstrated experience supporting youth facing barriers to employment, including Indigenous Youth, Youth with lived experience of government care, to develop and achieve their employment, educational, and/or future readiness goals.
• Demonstrated ability to provide culturally safe and sensitive services, with knowledge of Indigenous histories, communities and perspectives.
• Ability to lift over 25 lbs.
• Commitment to collaboration across the Hub streams to deliver holistic, coordinated supports to youth.
• Experience building and maintaining employer relationships to connect participants with meaningful work experience and employment opportunities.
• Strong knowledge of trauma-informed practices, employment barriers, and holistic supports for youth.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Zoom and Microsoft Office 365 applications, including Word, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
• A valid Criminal Record Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Screening (CRC-VSS) is required.

Assets (nice-to-have):

• Experience working in a hub-based, multi-site, or multi-stream operational structure. 
• Bike Mechanic skills and experience or interest in learning. 
• Additional language(s).
• Lived experience relevant to the communities served is considered an asset.  
• CCDP or other relevant certification.  

What we offer:  

We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:  

• Extended medical and dental benefits     
• A defined benefit pension plan (MPP)  
• Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up
• 22 vacation days and 3 personal days
• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members   
• Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions   
• A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.  
• Free staff membership to our Health + Fitness Centre  
• Discounts at our Hotel Willo
• Priority in YWCA Child Care centres 

Pay Rate as of April 1, 2026: $31.94 per hour