IT/Technical Instructor (JQSA Program)

Job Description

Reporting to the Program Manager, we are adding a Technical Instructors to NPower Canada. This is an opportunity to play a vital role in the success of our JQSA Program. You will be accountable for ensuring that 80% of program participants successfully complete training and that 95% of graduates earn at least one certification. I.T. is what we do, transforming lives is what motivates us. If you want to help launch the tech careers of under-served, young adults, join us as the new Technical Instructor, JQSA Program.

Who you are

You want to make an impact. You are an energetic, dedicated, and engaging educator and mentor. You are passionate about creating employment opportunities for youth through targeted, holistic education. You believe in fostering a partnership with our Alumni, engaging and empowering them in thoughtful and creative ways, motivating them to overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.

What's in it for you

Purpose. This is an outstanding opportunity to see the tangible results of the work you do and the skills you impart to your students. This is a genuine chance to make an impact on a young adult's life, empowering them to contribute back to their community as they grow personally and professionally.

Vocation fulfillment. It's not easy to break into the education sector; this is an exciting opportunity for an educator to gain classroom experience and build their delivery skills. Even more so, it's a chance to work with diverse learners, many of whom have struggled to access or complete post-secondary education, in a high-touch environment.

Growth potential. You will have ongoing opportunities to achieve technical certifications and learn new ways of delivering content to your students. As we continue to expand our program offerings both locally and nationally, the chance to grow your career exists. Over 75% of our staff have grown their capacity and moved up in roles and responsibilities since starting here. If you are passionate about our purpose, you will find a fulfilling career path here.

Exposure. You will have the opportunity to work with leaders, team members, and partners in the workforce development field to address the growing issue of youth un/under employment. Your work will also directly impact the growing skills gap in the I.T. industry in Ontario.

How you will make an impact:

Coach and support participants. You will cultivate strong relationships with students to build trust and act as their personal coach throughout their program of study. Your goal is to ensure students feel understood, accepted, and supported. You will:

• Evaluate students' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics and provide regular coaching and educational support activities on a bi-weekly basis, holding participants accountable for both structured and self-directed learning plans.
• Provide individual tutoring support to participants with demonstrated learning challenges, implementing appropriate interventions to address behavioral issues or learning difficulties that encourage motivation and engagement.
• Hold daily drop-in 'office hours' to support participants with: exam preparation, study skills, motivation, time management, etc.

Enhance curriculum and program delivery. You will contribute to student achievement through the selection of suitable alumni and the development of participant engagement and learning plans. Your goal is to attain a student success rate of 95% of graduates earning a certification in each cohort. You will:

• Play a key role assisting with the establishment of our alumni education program, working with an internal team to select and register alumni.
• Deliver technical content provided by Google and Coursera, setting up milestones, creating evaluations, mock exams, and learning plans and designing engagement pieces that will attract and retain the interest of the alumni.
• Monitor and analyze individuals progress, difficulties, and successes, testing measures and expectations against timelines.
• Maintain high-levels of student satisfaction as measured by ensuring high standards of professional practice and quality of teaching.
• Demonstrate the use of research-based instructional strategies, technology integration, best practices, and resources for improving student achievement.
• Participate in reciprocal peer review and observation of class teaching practices by Senior Education Manager.
• Attend networking and alumni events, contributing, as needed to presentations for employment partners.

Teach, assess, and evaluate. Deliver lesson plans and instructional materials that facilitate active learning in the classroom, lab, workshop, off-site, online and individualized settings. You will:

• Plan and facilitate academic success workshops to increase critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills of participants.
• Maintain a safe and respectful classroom simulating a professional workplace environment, motivating active participation and engaged learning.
• Impart real-world work scenarios that are outside of the 'core' course of study in preparation for the next step up in their career such as Team Lead or Associate Cloud Support Engineer roles.
• Prepare required reports on participants and activities that capture participant readiness to write the technical certification.

What you bring to the team:

• The education. You have a B.Ed., M.Ed., or a comparable post-secondary diploma or degree related to Education and Training. You may have a Computer Science or IT related degree. CompTIA Security+ or Cyber Security. Proficient in Excel, SQL and Python is a definite asset.
• The experience. You have 2 to 3 years in a teaching or facilitation role, ideally to participants 18+. You understand the differences in style, language, and approach required to deliver to a young adult audience. You have experience teaching in an online environment.
• The compassion. You exhibit a high level of sensitivity, relatability, and emotional intelligence. You have an understanding of the socio-economic and mental health barriers faced by youth of all backgrounds, and you have experience working with diverse community members, including new Canadians, people with disabilities, LGBTQ, low income, and racialized groups.
• The technical skills. You are proficient with educational software including, but not limited to, Google Drive and Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Schoology, an LMS, and a CRM. You have exposure to a blended learning approach and can implement best practices in technology integration in the classroom. Familiarity or working knowledge of programming languages and Google Cloud Console are considered strong assets.
• The potluck contribution. You have that perfect potluck recipe, and you are willing to share. We work hard as a team, but balance is essential to us. We have weekly lunches where we talk about anything but work; it's a great way to come together.