Instructional Assistant - Career Development

Description

Under direction of assigned manager, assists in the design, coordination, and implementation of career development programs and services that support student career exploration, employment, and the Career Connections career lab; provides assistance to students in a classroom or laboratory setting; provides assistance to students and staff in the use of technology; maintains equipment in assigned labs; supervises and provides training to student and/or other temporary workers; and performs a variety of other duties as needed to provide technical and teaching assistance.

Examples Of Functions and Tasks

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES - The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Facilitates instruction with individuals and groups of students in a classroom/laboratory setting to develop and increase awareness and use of career exploration and job development resources.
2. Provides technical assistance to students in career exploration; assists individuals with computer-aided career research programs and opportunities; introduces the career exploration process, information, resources, materials, programs, and curriculum to students or community members; provides technical support for specialized computer software and basic troubleshooting of career lab hardware.
3. Assesses students’ current knowledge, understanding, and experience to determine the appropriate goals and starting point for using career exploration resources; determines when referral to a counselor is appropriate.
4. Instructs students in procedures, purpose, and use of materials including reference materials and computer programs; instructs students and provides technical assistance in the use of computers including the use of Internet for career research and use of specialized software.
5. Creates and revises administrative materials for career assessment; administers, monitors, processes and maintains files on various career assessment tests and career-related inventories; manages inventory of online assessments.
6. Designs and presents training and in-service workshops for students and/or staff; develops handout materials and facilitates activities that provide career awareness for students; provides training and technical support for staff in the use of career software and online career assessments; assists in student job placement; creates and maintains special exhibits including to organize, construct, and maintain collections of reference materials and displays.
7. Maintains an online job bank of potential temporary, full-time, and part-time employment and internship opportunities for students and graduates; responds to employer inquiries and assists students and employers with use of job bank system; approves registered employers and on-hold jobs; follows up with employers and students to determine job placement success.
8. Schedules in-person visits for staff to visit various companies/agencies to develop professional relationships, enhance student career exploration opportunities and promote departmental and district resources and services.
9. Critiques and advises students on preparation of resumes; assesses and advises students’ interview techniques by conducting workshops and individual rehearsals.
10. Publicizes, makes arrangements for, and assists with planning, coordination, and implementation of job/career fairs, career-related workshops, and other events and activities.
11. Coordinates and implements student orientations and career assessment schedules; monitors and deletes student accounts and preserves data by performing periodic file back-ups.
12. Coordinates enrollment, assessments, and student counseling appointments for self-paced career exploration classes; maintains student attendance records for accounting and student census purposes; assists with the development, implementation, and updates to hybrid online/on-campus format.
13. Assists in coordinating the Internship program including to publicize the program to businesses, industry, and current and potential students; maintains contact with businesses and industry representatives and functions as liaison, supporting faculty and students; maintains student attendance records and student files for internships; tracks, monitors, and reports internship placements, progress, and completion to ensure compliance with rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; arranges for and provides training to internship faculty and internship orientations to students; provides support and additional documentation for Federal Work Study interns and International Students to ensure compliance with additional federal regulations, laws, and guidelines.
14. Assists in providing support of VTEA and Tech Prep grant-funded activities and staff; prepares correspondence; arranges meeting rooms; prepares and distributes e-mail and written correspondence; orders supplies and materials; assists in planning, coordination, and evaluation of events and activities.
15. Arranges for and conducts tours of Career Connections and other District facilities; conducts orientation sessions, seminars, and discussion groups related to career and internship information.
16. Creates, designs, publishes, and distributes advertisements for Internship program, career exploration, and job development; composes and distributes marketing material; organizes, maintains, and provides career information, resource materials, and information of program activities.
17. Provides a wide variety of administrative support; composes and types correspondence; schedules meetings, appointments, and room reservations; attends meetings and serves on committees; performs general clerical duties; develops and processes forms; maintains adequate inventory of supplies; checks equipment and materials in and out; performs research as needed or requested.
18. Maintains up-to-date and accurate records of Career Connections lab activity and visits; monitors and tracks student usage of Career Connections lab, resources, and services.
19. Hires, trains, schedules, supervise and manage work flow; terminates student employees and temporary employees; processes student and temporary employee time sheets.
20. Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS - The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Examples of ways to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Education/Training: Two years of college with major course work in education, counseling, or a related field.
• Experience: Two years of increasingly responsible experience supporting counseling, enrollment, and other student services
• License or Certificate: Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver’s license may be required.

Knowledge of:

• Tutorial and instructional techniques as well as laboratory supervisory techniques.
• Educational methodology that supports careers supported by the College’s curriculum.
• Career development resources sufficient to assist instructors with curriculum planning.
• Various assessment and career inventory materials sufficient to assist students to understand intent and appropriately respond to test instruments.
• Computer-aided instruction techniques and applications.
• Community college enrollment practices.
• Human relations techniques and principles to facilitate group processes, deliver presentations, and explain technical concepts to students with diverse backgrounds.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including applicable software applications such as word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and database management.
• Basic mathematical principles.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Ability to:

• Tutor/instruct students of diverse backgrounds, abilities, skill levels, and learning styles.
• Analyze individual student needs to provide alternatives in career development information.
• Recognize student needs, offer encouragement, build confidence, enhance self-esteem, and assist them with establishing individual educational goals.
• Design and update forms and informational materials used in the area of assignment.
• Administer, monitor, and score standardized assessment, interest, and other tests.
• Assist with curriculum planning, workshops, presentation, and/or other training for District staff members.
• Train and supervise student and/or other temporary help.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, database management, network management, desktop publishing, and Internet navigation applications.
• Adapt to changing technologies and learn functionality of new equipment and systems.
• Work independently and collaboratively.
• Perform general clerical functions; schedule appointments and meetings.
• Compile information and maintain accurate records; maintain confidentiality of student information.
• Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines.
• Learn and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations as well as administrative and departmental policies and procedures.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT - The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Environment: Work is performed primarily indoors in an education classroom/center/laboratory setting.
• Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office and/or education center/classroom/laboratory setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally walk, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
• Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.
• Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.