Workforce Specialist in Cerritos, California at United American Indian I Inc

United American Indian Involvement (UAII) is the only Native-led non-profit organization in Los Angeles County, proudly serving as a home for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Through our healthcare facility and culturally centered programs, we provide essential physical, behavioral, and spiritual health services—helping individuals stay connected to their Tribal heritage and traditions.

For over 50 years, UAII has grown to become the largest nonprofit provider of health and human services for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Los Angeles, home to the nation’s largest Urban Indian population. Our dedicated team delivers compassionate care that supports daily healing, resilience, and the continued strength of our communities. UAII is committed to uphold Indigenous values in all aspects of our work. It guides our actions, relationships, and responsibilities, ensuring that we serve our communities with integrity, respect, and accountability.

Core Principles

• Respect for Relatives – I will honor the dignity of all people, recognizing that every individual is a relative deserving of respect, compassion, and care.
• Community Responsibility – My work is not only for individual benefit but for the collective well-being of our communities, present and future.
• Cultural Integrity - I will safeguard and uplift Indigenous languages, traditions, and cultural practices, ensuring they remain central to our organizational life.
• Reciprocity - We give back in balance with what we receive, fostering mutual trust and accountability in all relationships.
• Stewardship – I will act as a caretaker of our communities, resources, and environment, mindful of the impact of our decisions on future generations.
• Truth and Transparency – I will communicate honestly and openly, ensuring clarity in our commitments and accountability in our actions

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Workforce Development Manager, the Workforce Specialist is responsible for conducting in-depth assessment of customers’ employment needs, develop a comprehensive service plan to address needs and lead the customer towards obtaining full-time, unsubsidized employment. This position will provide ongoing training, supportive employment counseling, coaching and mentoring to customers during their employment search. Building partnerships with community agencies and businesses for shared resources and training opportunities will also be an important role. They will research opportunities for career pathways, other training programs and conduct outreach and recruitment on top of determining eligibility, entering documentation into customer case files, and preparing and submitting reports. This position is onsite and field work is required in this role to attend outreach events.

Essential Functions

An individual in this role must be able to perform the following functions with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Knowledge of workforce development and managing job placement and retention programs
• Outreach to local agencies and businesses to obtain current and accurate information on employment and training opportunities for customers to include training site locations for WEX, OJT or Internships
• Administer and review comprehensive customer assessments to identify strengths and deficiencies of customers in relation to training, education and employment goals and objectives
• Determine eligibility and create an Individual Employment Plan of services to clearly define a path to employment with customers
• Provide ongoing employment and career counseling. Resource referrals to address issues, problems and challenges in the areas of goal setting, problem solving, life management and related skills
• Maintain contact with customers to ensure activities occur within time limits and in accordance with program and funding source requirements
• Assist customers in the use of resources and technology for job search activities
• Provide professional guidance or facilitate job preparedness workshops on resume development, interview techniques and financial literacy as needed
• Identify customers for whom work experience, classroom training or on-the-job training would be appropriate and guide them to those activities and monitor the progress of these trainees, including job retention counseling, to ensure their successful completion of the activity
• Conduct outreach, including cold calls, to the business community to promote program services and explain benefits and employment support services provided
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local employers and partner with local agencies and businesses to identify resources to address and maximize customer employment retention and career development
• Collect labor market information regarding job openings, entry and skill requirements and other occupational information
• Conduct follow-up employment verifications with customers who have obtained employment and their employers in accordance with program guidelines
• Maintain contact with the customer and their employer to address possible issues that may affect on-going employment
• Conduct customer recruitment and outreach activities
• Identify and recruit employers and customers to participate in UAII Workforce Development Job Fair(s)
• Process program paperwork in accordance with agency program deadlines and prepare and submit monthly reports
• Represent the agency and communicates accordingly at identified community, government, and/or business meetings
• Provide reports to Workforce Managers tor designee as requested
• Keep Workforce Managers well-informed regarding activities, pending issues and potential problems
• Ability to travel for work related professional development or for work related functions like outreach events, and conferences.
• Ability to occasionally work evenings and weekends as needed for Company events.
• Must be able to reliably travel between our Los Angeles, Cerritos, and Santa Ana offices, with occasional travel to Palmdale to meet with participants, as required.
• Maintain a valid California Driver's license and personal auto liability insurance; driving is an essential job function.
• Clean driving record, eligible to be insured by UAll's auto policy when driving a Company vehicle.

You may perform all elements of this position or identified components, other duties as assigned or required for the purpose of the position or for organizational efficiency and effective client service

Minimum Qualifications (Education & Experience)

• Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university or combination of equivalent education and experience
• 1-3 years related work experience in workforce development or related areas.

Preferred Qualifications (Education & Experience)

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university or combination of equivalent education and experience
• Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP), and/or Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) Certification.
• Experience and knowledge of DOL, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), EDD, and DPSS regulations
• Experience working with nonprofit organizations, community groups, and performance-based government contracts.
• Experience working with the American Indian/Alaskan Native community
• Experience working with nonprofit organizations, community groups, and performance-based government contracts
• Knowledge of Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638)
• Knowledge of Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (PL 94-437).
• Knowledge of the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148).

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Competencies

• Job Placement Skills
• Knowledge of area job market and workforce trends
• Demonstrated experience facilitating workshops and training
• Excellent customer service and problem resolution skills
• Demonstrated success in programs that meet and exceed contract performance goals
• Able to work independently and as a team member who consistently demonstrates professionalism, courtesy, efficiency, excellent internal and external customer service, high ethical standards and behavior
• Able and willingness to work with culturally diverse populations
• Strong understanding and sensitivity to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures and lifestyles and work effectively with AI/AN population.
• Effective oral and written communications skills with sensitivity to lifestyles of targeted participants, while maintaining a high level of professionalism.
• Skills in operating personal computer using a variety of computer software (Microsoft Office, Adobe, Microsoft Teams, Zoom).·
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of client and personnel information, exercise discretion, and comply with all applicable federal and state privacy laws, as well as UAII policy (HIPAA, HITECH, etc.).
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with management, coworkers, and outside contacts.
• Ability to keep up with a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to anticipate issues and find solutions quickly and effectively.
• Ability to learn and apply program/agency operating policies and procedures.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks concurrently and meet deadlines.
• Ability to interact with various people on various, and at times, complex issues.
• Ability to work independently as well as with teams.

Conditions of Hire

· Eligibility to work in the U.S.

· Fingerprint clearance and post-offer drug test.

· Proof of hepatitis B vaccination and TB screening.

· UAII strongly encourages COVID-19 and Influenza vaccinations; in the absence of the recommended vaccinations, employees are required to wear a mask while on company premises.

Benefits

· Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage

· Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance Plans

· Company-paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

· Company-paid Basic Life Insurance and AD&D

· HSA, FSA

· 403(b) Retirement Plan with 4% Employer Match

· Employee Assistance Program

· Bereavement and Jury Duty Paid Leave

· Employee Wellness Program

· Paid Vacation - 12 days (first 2 years)

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here represent those employee encounters while performing the primary functions of this job. Normal office conditions exist, and the noise level in the work environment can vary from low to moderate. Field-based work to attend outreach events. Regular travel throughout Los Angeles County is required for outreach activities, training, and meetings. Occasional domestic air travel to attend conferences. The physical demands described here 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 functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and/or sit. The employee is occasionally required to walk, sit and climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected status under federal, state, or local law. UAII is a drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

UAII is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law.