EMPLOYMENT SERVICES COUNSELOR 24032

11/01/91 B

This is the single class in the Employment Services series which assesses the needs of job applicants, provides specialized employment and career counseling, and assists non-job-ready applicants to become employable by conducting training, identifying barriers to employment, developing individual employability plans, and monitoring and tracking the progress of clients. Positions in this class are distinguished from the Employment Security Interviewer class by its responsibility for determining the suitability and eligibility of applicants to enter special job programs and training, interpreting aptitude, proficiency and interest tests, and counseling applicants on job choice, change, or adjustment.

Complexity of Work: Performs work of moderate difficulty by counseling individuals on career choice, change, or adjustment after collecting, organizing, and analyzing information about an individual through records, tests, interviews, and professional sources to appraise interests, aptitudes, abilities, and personality characteristics; and by contracting and presenting training to make clients employable. The work requires developing rapport with applicants to assess and evaluate employment training and other needs such as behavior modification, related to securing employment. Applicant's job history, test scores, education, training, job interests and counseling sessions are documented and evaluated to determine the best options for training programs or job placement. This class may determine eligibility for certification to participate in special programs such as the Apprenticeship and/or On-The-Job Training (OJT) contracts. Contacts employers to negotiate OJT contract; may provide job-seeking skills workshops for community organizations, schools, and individuals likely to be unemployed due to plant closings. Prepares training materials and presents training to help groups learn how to become more employable. Documents counseling and progress of clients in individual records as set forth by the Virginia Employment Commission's Office of Constituent Services guidelines.

Supervision Given: Supervision is typically not a factor.

Supervision Received: Performs work under the direction of an Employment Security Office Manager, Employment Security Interviewer Supervisor, or Employment Security Coordinator who periodically reviews statistics of work completed. The supervisor provides guidance on agency policy and helps coordinate the work of counselor with other staff members. Individual counseling cases are handled independently, with technical guidance rarely requested from off-site subject matter experts.

Scope: Positions in this class are responsible for identifying, counseling, certifying and placing eligible individuals into special job training programs. Decisions affect the social, physical and economic well-being of applicants, and the general economy within a geographic area.

Impact of Actions: Work involves predicting the probability of success of individuals counseled in particular training programs. Services rendered by the counselor should result in an employable job-seeker, and a suitable match between an employee and a job, resulting in less turnover and a satisfied employee and employer. Significant costs in training funds, time and goodwill may be incurred if clients are not counseled and placed appropriately.

Personal Contacts: Frequent external contacts with applicants and employers are made to match job seekers training programs or job vacancies. Occasional internal and external contacts may be made with social services, job corps, targeted jobs tax credit specialists and other organizations to facilitate an applicant's job placement. May also contact federal, state and agency personnel regarding counseling, training and job information.

Knowledge: Working knowledge of counseling and interviewing techniques to gather, review and evaluate vocational information and employment and wage laws and regulations.

Skills: None identified for this class.

Abilities: Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; to discuss, interpret and apply agency program standards and procedures; to document the counseling process and to express reasons for actions taken; to evaluate vocational information and conduct workshops.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDE*

Licenses or Certification: None.

Education or Training: Graduation from an accredited college or university with course work in counseling, personnel, interviewing, employee selection or community manpower or training programs.

Level and Type of Experience: Experience in employment or vocational counseling preferred. Interviewing, employee selection, personnel or community work in manpower or training programs desirable.

An equivalent combination of training and experience indicating possession of the preceding knowledges and abilities may substitute for this education and experience.

This class, formerly titled Employment Counselor, was revised as part of the agency comprehensive Classification Review/Specification Update Program, effective November 1991.