Job Description

Ready to help young people find their path forward? As a PREP (Postsecondary Retention & Employment Preparation) Program Advocate , you’ll guide youth and young adults as they explore careers, build confidence, and take real steps toward their goals.

You’ll manage the day-to-day operations of the PREP Program and make sure all services meet the standards of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Youth & Young Adult Services , overseen by the Central Iowa Workforce Development Board (CIWDB) . Translation: you’ll help make big dreams happen—while keeping the paperwork straight.

What You’ll Do:

• Support youth and young adults as they connect to school, training, and work opportunities.
• Coordinate and deliver the 14 WIOA service elements (from tutoring and mentoring to job skills and leadership development).
• Build strong relationships with schools, employers, and community partners to open doors for participants.
• Spread the word! Help recruit participants and promote the PREP Program in the community.
• Keep services running smoothly, meet contract goals, and maintain high-quality outcomes.
• Team up with the PREP Program Manager to make sure everything—big and small—gets done right.

WIOA Service Elements:

Tutoring & Study Skills • Alternative Secondary School Services • Leadership Development • Adult Mentoring • Paid & Unpaid Work Experiences • Occupational Skills Training • Supportive Services • Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling • Follow-Up Services • Financial Literacy • Entrepreneurial Skills Training • Labor Market Information • Postsecondary Education & Training Transition • Concurrent Education & Workforce Prep

Please know this is not a complete list of the position's responsibilities. Duties may change or be added at any time.

What You'll Get In Return

We believe in your potential, we meet you where you are, and we invest in your future. Beyond meaningful, mission-driven work, YSS provides the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Supplemental accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance
• Accrued PTO, plus paid time off for holidays, your birthday, and volunteering
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pet insurance discounts
• PSLF Program qualification
• Recognition, training, and wellness programs
• Retirement saving options

We want to create a world where youth are valued and empowered to stand strong. To do this, we ask our staff to embrace YSS core values - Commitment, Collaboration, Compassion, Innovation, Integrity, and a “Can Do” Spirit .

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, education, psychology, or a related field
• Minimum of two years Experience working with youth or young adults in education, workforce, or mentoring programs

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of career readiness and postsecondary transitions
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Able to prioritize and manage multiple projects
• Effective at coordinating and collaborating with others
• Clear verbal and written communicator
• Highly organized with strong documentation skills
• Adaptable and solution-oriented
• Mission-driven, committed to youth empowerment

Who You Are

Think this sounds like you? You might be exactly who we’re looking for!”

• You genuinely enjoy working with youth and young adults and celebrating their successes.
• You’re organized, dependable, and proactive, keeping programs and paperwork on track.
• You thrive on building relationships — with participants, families, schools, and community partners.
• You’re solution-oriented and flexible, able to adapt to changing schedules and needs.
• You bring energy, positivity, and encouragement to every interaction.
• You're mission-driven, with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and positive social impact.
• You approach your work with humility, respect, and sensitivity to diverse identities and lived experiences.
• Bonus points if you speak a second language or have experience with diverse communities.

We celebrate the strength in your story.

Have you navigated recovery from addiction, mental health challenges, trauma, or housing instability? Your lived experience offers a unique, compassionate perspective that can inspire real change . By sharing your story and serving as a role model or mentor, you can make a meaningful impact in the lives of youth and families.

Your journey matters . If you’re ready to use it to uplift and empower others , we warmly encourage you to apply.

For those in recovery, we typically ask for two years of sobriety to ensure stability and readiness for leadership, though candidates with one year may be considered case by case.

Who We Are (and why you’ll love us)...

We’re YSS – one of Iowa’s oldest & largest nonprofits dedicated to putting kids first. Our mission? To spark hope, create opportunities, and help young people thrive. With life-changing programs, a passionate leadership team, and our brand-new 50-acre recovery campus, we’re growing fast and thinking big . Check us out at yss.org!

At YSS , we celebrate the unique backgrounds, identities, and experiences that each team member brings. As an Equal Opportunity Employer , we are dedicated to creating a respectful, inclusive, and empowering environment where everyone can grow and succeed. And we’re always working to do better, together.

YSS is a nicotine-free workplace.

Heads Up! Don’t Miss Our Messages! - We communicate with applicants via email – straight from our Paycom system. So be sure to keep an eye on your inbox (and maybe your spam/junk folder too). Got questions? Email yss@yss.org - we’re happy to help!

The YSS Hiring Process

• Apply – Fill out the online app at yss.org/ysscareers.
• Assessment – We’ll check out your skills and experience.
• Interview – Phone, video, or in-person – we’ll chat and get to know you.
• References – Send us three+ people who can sing your praises.
• Screening – Background and driving checks (plus license verification if needed).
• Offer – If it’s a match, you’ll get a formal offer through Paycom.

• Applicable Degrees: Adolescent Psychology, Behavioral Health, Business Administration, Communications, Community or Urban Studies, Criminal Justice, Clinical Mental Health, Corrections, Counseling, Education, Family Science, Family Studies, Human Resources, Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Rehabilitation, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services, Social Work, Sociology, Youth Development, Youth Services

Keywords: Advocate, Career, Case Manager, Central Iowa Workforce Development Board (CIWDB), Coach, Community , Compliance, Contract, Coordination, Coordinator, Counseling, Data , Delivery, Development , Documentation, Economic , Education, Employment , Empowerment, Engagement, Equity, Federal, Future-ready, Goal, Implementation, Job, Leadership, Mentoring, Navigator, Opportunity, Outcomes, Outreach, Partnership, Pathways, Performance, Placement, Postsecondary, Preparation, Program, Readiness, Reporting, Resilience, Self-sufficiency, Service, Skill-building, Specialist, Success, Supportive, Training , Transition, WIOA Title I, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Youth

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