Step Up Employer Engagement Associate
Position Overview
The Step Up employer engagement associate provides vital support to Step Up partner companies and staff to maximize summer internship opportunities. Working alongside the Step Up program team, the employer engagement associate develops and delivers strategies for engaging current and prospective employers at Minneapolis-Saint Paul companies. They also work closely with our youth services team to make high quality internship placements, support interns and supervisors during summer job coaching and assist in intern work readiness trainings. This position reports to the Step Up employer engagement manager. Priority is given to applications received by November 1.
About Step Up
The Step Up Youth Employment Program prepares today’s youth for tomorrow’s careers by recruiting, training and placing more than 1,300 Minneapolis young people (ages 14-21) in paid internships each year with over 100 Twin Cities employers, from Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to public agencies and nonprofits. As one of the nation’s leading youth employment programs, Step Up leverages a collective spanning 15 industries and multiple sectors. Step Up has provided over 35,000 internships since 2003, yielding a competitive talent pipeline, a stronger economy and millions of dollars in wages for Step Up interns. Step Up is a partnership of the City of Minneapolis, Achieve Twin Cities, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Project for Pride in Living.
The Young People We Serve
Step Up supports historically underrepresented Minneapolis youth who are ready to navigate the professional world. Step Up interns are the leaders of tomorrow, the talent that will power our region and reflect the global fluency of our communities. Nearly 86 percent of Step Up interns are youth of color and more than 50 percent come from immigrant families. Our recent interns were born in over 15 countries and speak more than eight unique languages.
Duties and Responsibilities
Deliver strategies for engaging current and prospective employers at Minneapolis-St. Paul companies:
- Promote and engage Step Up to Minneapolis-Saint Paul companies, ranging from non-profits to large corporations and public agencies, through email campaigns, presentations and networking.
- Promote internship opportunities among existing employers and new prospects; collaborate with the Step Up employer engagement manager to set and meet internship goals.
- Provide outstanding customer service to Step Up partner companies through strong relationships with executive leadership, main contacts and supervisors.
- Continually update CRM (customer relationship management) database to track each company’s progress in developing internship plans and providing required information/documents.
- Work within a designated industry portfolio to target specific companies based on their interest and growth opportunities.
Create high quality internship placements:
- Make quality internship placements based on employer needs and intern skills and interests.
- Collaborate with the Step Up team to determine the best employer placements for all interns.
- Approach internship placement through an equity lens.
- Become proficient in the CRM database as a tool to find the best internship matches.
- Create placement strategy to achieve 100% placement goals.
Support Step Up interns, supervisors, and job coaches throughout internships:
- Work with interns, employer main contacts and supervisors to support onboarding, verify start dates and ensure that internships have a successful start.
- Serve as a job coach to offer ongoing, additional support to Step Up interns and supervisors.
- Perform formal check-ins with supervisors and interns to assess their experiences and gather feedback to inform and strengthen Step Up programming.
- Send weekly communications to interns and supervisors with programmatic highlights.
- Answer intern and supervisor questions and concerns in a timely manner and troubleshoot challenges as needed.
Support Step Up youth recruitment and training:
- Support the Step Up youth services team with presentations and recruitment tabling at schools and community organizations as needed.
- Support Step Up work readiness trainings, intake interviews and other career enrichment events for Minneapolis youth; assist with overall flow of these events.
Qualifications and Experience
Required:
- Ability to work collaboratively and effectively and build trusting relationships with the Step Up team, employer partners and young people.
- Commitment to anti-racism and equity in accessing postsecondary career and education opportunities.
- Experience working with populations similar to the young people we serve, and an open, positive attitude and commitment to youth.
- Task-oriented and results-driven, with a willingness to help and complete multiple projects at once.
- Persistence, flexibility and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Determination and drive; excellent problem-solving skills
- Competency in Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university or equivalent work experience.
- Individuals with proven success in sales are encouraged to apply.
Preferred:
- Experience in sales, communications or marketing.
- Knowledge and experience in work readiness, secondary education or college readiness.
- Experience with Microsoft CRM.
Compensation and Benefits
- $21.60-24.50 per hour starting hourly rate (equivalent to approx. $45,000- $51,000 annually) starting compensation depending on experience, with opportunity for compensation increases based on annual performance reviews and pay parity across the organization.
- Regular full-time, non-exempt position.
- 18 paid holidays including three floating holidays and four summer Fridays, 18 vacation days in year one (with increases based on length of employment), up to 10 sick days per year and additional paid leave options for bereavement, compassionate leave, parental leave, and more. Hours are pro-rated for part-time employees.
- Other benefits include medical, health savings account option, dental, vision, life insurance and annual professional development funds. Opportunity for promotion to senior associate after one year.
- We offer a flexible schedule in a hybrid work environment that includes partial remote work.
To Apply
Applications are welcomed from a broad range of applicants. Send letter of interest and resume to HR@achievetwincities.org. Priority will be given to applications received by November 1st, 2024. Position is open until filled.
Achieve Twin Cities is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
About Achieve Twin Cities
Achieve Twin Cities rallies community support and delivers best-in-class programs to inspire and equip young people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul for careers, college and life. Our vision is that all young people have full and equitable access to postsecondary education and career opportunities, creating a more just and vibrant community. We direct career and college readiness services in 27 Minneapolis Public Schools and Saint Paul Public Schools high schools, connect students with work readiness training and paid summer internships through Step Up, host Principal Partner Day and other public engagement events, and serve as the nonprofit foundation for Minneapolis Public Schools. Learn more at www.achievetwincities.org.
Our Commitment to Equity
Achieve Twin Cities is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that is committed to hiring talented individuals who are passionate about our mission and represent the diverse identities of the communities we serve. We acknowledge and honor the fundamental value and dignity of all persons. We do not tolerate discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, culture, religion, ability, veteran status, national origin, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, class, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. We seek to build a staff that is reflective of the students we serve and our values of equity and inclusion to embrace differences, eliminate racism and other forms of bias, and create an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, heard and respected.
Applicants’ Rights under Federal Employment Laws