Onward Fellowship - Workforce Advisor, KIPP Forward

Company Description

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.

Job Description

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 intervention