Onward Fellowship - Workforce Advisor, KIPP Forward

About KIPP NYC:

KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of free, public charter schools that prepares students for success in college and life. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in The Bronx. Our goal was to graduate students with the strength of character and academic abilities needed to succeed in high school, college and beyond – and in so doing, to prove what is possible for all students. Today, our New York City network is comprised of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive support program for our alumni. KIPP NYC Public Schools currently serves more than 9,350 students and alumni, has a staff of more than 1,000, and continues to grow!

About KIPP Forward Postsecondary Success Collaborative

KIPP Forward works with graduates of KIPP, Achievement First, and a growing number of other select high school-serving organizations, to empower them for success in college and their careers. Our Theory of Impact was formulated utilizing a design thinking approach with our alumni, as well as research of the most effective Comprehensive Approach to Student Success (CASS) and career readiness programs.  Utilizing breakthrough college and career strategies, we aim to help our alumni persist in and graduate from college and CTE programs, and upon completion, transition to strong jobs.​  Currently, the Collaborative serves alumni who completed high school in NYC, Connecticut, New Jersey and Philadelphia, and will support KIPP CTE-bound alumni from additional regions across the country through management of the Onward Fellowship.

Anticipated Start Date: February 1, 2025

Location: This position is a remote position, with the expectation of 60% travel to meet with Onward Fellows at their home regions (locations TBD) and visit various CTE programs within those regions, 30% working remotely and 10% participating in team meetings at our NYC central office. The employee in this position must reside in NY, NJ or CT, and within commutable distance to our central office in NYC.

Onward Fellowship Scale and Impact  

The Onward Fellowship will provide selected KIPP high school graduates or middle school completers who are pursuing a qualified Career and Technical Education (CTE) certifying program with financial support of up to $10,000 over 2 years to cover the academic and/or personal expenses that make enrolling in and/or completing a certification program challenging. Through the generosity of KIPP’s supporters, we have created a fund that will be able to support an estimated 265 KIPPsters in the high school graduating class of 2025.

Position Overview

The Onward Fellowship Workforce Advisor (WFA) is a highly motivated, flexible, entrepreneurial and dynamic professional committed to increasing alumni access to and success in CTE/Workforce training programs. KIPP Forward is looking for a relationship and results oriented individual to advise KIPP alumni from across a variety of regions interested in joining the workforce directly after high school with the financial support of the Onward Fellowship. The goals are to increase the number of alumni who apply to, enroll in, and complete a career program aligned with their interests and aptitudes, and to secure a strong job in an upwardly mobile career, putting them on a path to financial freedom and fulfilling lives.

The Workforce Advisor assists alumni to apply for Onward funding as they transition from high school and will advise them through their two years post-graduation. This includes supporting their identification of and application to CTE programs of interest, persistence and completion of them, and supporting their job search process. The Workforce Advisor reports directly to the Associate Director (AD) of CTE Pathways & Partnerships and joins a team that includes 3 other Workforce Advisors. 

Utilizing Inside Track training and consistent observation and feedback from our Associate Director (AD) of CTE Pathways & Partnerships, the Advisor will provide coaching, mentorship and direct support to alumni through virtual and in person 1:1 advisement sessions. In so doing, they will assess advisees’ professional interests, skill sets, academic and career-related habits and planning, socio-emotional and financial health to determine fit, readiness and support needs through this critical 2-year period. Through these consistent touchpoints and assessments, the Advisor will perform transformational coaching interventions to ensure our alumni make positive progress. 

All work-related transportation costs will be paid for by KIPP Forward.

The Workforce Advisor (Onward) position is a grant funded 2.5 year commitment from February 1, 2025 (or as soon after) through June 30, 2027. At the end of this grant term, employment with KIPP NYC terminates. We will invite high performing staff to apply for any available internal roles at that time.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the Onward intake and decisioning process for Onward funds for KIPP alumni opting for a career pathway post-high school, with a focus on the process for non-Collaborative KIPP regions.
• Partnering as needed with High School Counselors to assess Fellowship eligibility and decisioning process, and if support is needed to re-engage unresponsive alumni on the caseload.
• Support and maintain an advisory caseload of up to 200 alumni awarded the Onward Fellowship across our KIPP regions nationally by:
  • Regularly checking in with Onward Fellowship awardees to assess and track assets and barriers and explore ways to overcome setbacks that may impact training retention and completion, and landing a strong job, For alumni that have not identified or applied to a strong match CTE program, introducing and recommending local Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities and supporting the CTE program application process.
  • Checking in with Onward Fellowship awardees on their performance and progress in programs, and assessing needs and impacts of CTE programming on them 
  • Identify and partner with Associate Director (AD) of CTE Pathways & Partnerships to vet on new local CTE providers and workforce programs for participating non-Collaborative regions
  • Meet with advisees regarding their employment needs, assess employment history, and establish a realistic and viable job search plan
  • Assist advisees with resume development and job search
  • Utilizing approved social media and texting platforms to promote our programming and deliver critical information to alumni
• Plan and participate in weekly one-on-one meetings with Associate Director (AD) of CTE Pathways & Partnerships; Regularly and openly communicate with AD to seek guidance and support to navigate complex challenges alumni may be facing
• Track and maintain caseload data in Salesforce, including detailed notes of every student communication, in person visits, updated contact information, program participation and completion data, and maintain important documents on our internal file system
• Present data and insights to KIPP Forward leaders when requested on the progress of Onward Fellows  
• Engage actively in professional development opportunities provided, including conferences, workshops, team meetings, observations and debrief cycles, webinars, department meetings and team step-backs. New Staff Training will be held full-time in the first week of employment in NYC, and may be extended into the following week. 
• Submit credit card expense reports as required, and utilize alumni meeting funds strategically and responsibly
• Support facilitation of regional and national Professional Development in CTE/Workforce Advisement
• Support Associate Director (AD) of CTE Pathways & Partnerships and Senior Director of Career Services as needed to continue to improve our programs and services

• Strong alignment with and commitment to KIPP Forward’s program model and ultimate goals
• Completion of a workforce program, AA or BA degree
• Two or more years of experience working with underserved and at-risk young adults and their families
• Experience advising young adults with CTE/Workforce pursuits and/or demonstrated ability to influence and motivate young adults to engage in activities to build their futures preferred
• Friendly, outgoing and approachable to quickly engage your advisees; skill and willingness to assess and support individual advisee needs required for them to meet their career goals  
• High energy, positivity and enthusiasm to encourage and inspire your advisees to persevere and take positive action steps as they face challenges
• Ability to travel to meet with alumni and visit workforce programs in participating Onward regions, and to travel to NYC for team meetings, etc. as needed
• Demonstrated skill managing stressful or complex situations with calm, composure and resourcefulness
• Ability to self-manage to address challenges and meet ambitious goals and strict deadlines
• Flexibility and willingness to contribute when necessary on projects outside of own caseload
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and build relationships within and across teams
• Commitment to exploring issues of race, class, and privilege, both individually and alongside others
• Strong working knowledge in Microsoft Word/Google Docs, Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets, Microsoft PowerPoint/Google Slides, and Microsoft Outlook and ability to learn new technology platforms and databases quickly
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Strong achievement orientation with exceptional time management skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple priorities
• High level of responsiveness to maintain strong partner relations, along with willingness to check email/texts after hours for occasional urgent situations or needs
• Holding a valid driver’s license is strongly preferred
• Spanish speaking strongly preferred

Compensation & Benefits:

For the Workforce Advisor position, KIPP NYC offers a competitive salary ranging from $60,770 - $69,010. Salary ranges at KIPP NYC are standardized based on role level and role function. Individual salaries are determined through a lens of equity, accounting for years of experience relevant to the role and scope of responsibilities, and are benchmarked against others within the same salary band.

KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverages. Other benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and supplemental benefits offerings.

• KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package including, but not limited to, the following:
• Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision.
• Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave.
• Bright Horizon Back-up Child and Elder care.
• Employer paid Life Insurance and Short term/Long term disability.
• Employee incentives including 8 Weeks paid Sabbatical after 10 years, annual professional development funds, and tuition reimbursement.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position.  It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

This role require travel to our sites. If you relocate outside of a commutable distance from your assigned sites, your employment will be subject to review, which may include separation from KIPP NYC. It is important that you notify HR if you move or have plans to relocate.

KIPP NYC LLC does not offer visa sponsorship or work authorization.

KIPP NYC LLC is an anti-racist organization that believes in the importance of being diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment that includes employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving students and families throughout New York City. BIPOC, women, gender expansive, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.