Counsellor/Facilitator/Coach - Skilled Trades (Contract)

Employment Type:  Full-Time, Contract
Position Status:  Existing Vacancy
Work Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: $30.15 per hour (Level 5)
Contract Period:  July 13, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Location: 222 Dixon Road, Suite 207, Etobicoke ON, M9P 3S5

Application Deadline: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

JOIN OUR TEAM
Join YWCA Toronto, where intersectional feminism, community voices, and social justice drive lasting change. We welcome women and gender diverse people of all identities into a workplace rooted in equity, collaboration, and inclusion.

The Counsellor, Facilitator, Coach is responsible for coordinating the promotion of the skilled trades program and assist with the selection of candidates who are eligible to enter Pre-Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship and/or Reskilling trades programs. The incumbent will be responsible to perform information sessions, intake and assessment of prospective clients, facilitate skilled trade and job readiness sessions, provide support and conduct evaluations, work closely with trade partners including trade schools, unions, educational institutions, community partners and employers to bring awareness of skilled trades as a viable career path through Pre- apprenticeship, Apprenticeship and/or Reskilling trades programs. The responsibilities are to be carried out in accordance with the mission and policies of YWCA Toronto.

ABOUT YWCA WOMEN IN TRADES AND TECHNOLOGY
The Women in Trades and Technology programs provide training and employment service to women and gender diverse people interested in joining the construction, landscape and information technology industries. Programs are funded by MTCU (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) and are geared to educate women and gender diverse people about career opportunities in non-traditional occupations and train them in trades-specific programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plans outreach activities for recruiting eligible participants for skilled trade training programs in consultation with the Manager and the training partners and collaboration with the marketing and outreach counsellors;
• Organizes all intake activities for the programs including arranging information sessions, preparing intake forms, confirming client’s attendance, verifying applicants’ documentation;
• Conduct individual needs assessments with participants and provide wrap-around supports, resources and referrals to other community services as necessary;
• Provides individual counselling and coaching to the participants and assists them to develop individual training and apprenticeship plans;
• Supports participants towards achieving journeyperson status and/or Red Seal designation;
• Provides participants information and support to enter the trades through Pre-Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships, Trade Schools, Unions and Colleges as well as provide job development counselling, job coaching, and job retention support;
• Overall responsibility for training school and trade partners and participant relations including orienting partners to participant needs, mediating contentious issues, negotiating next steps to enter the trades. This includes coordination of schedules with training schools;
• Develops, organizes and facilitates trades and employment readiness components of the program;
• Provides support to participants and conducts on-going evaluations of participant apprenticeship plan;
• Tracks the progress of participants, maintains participant records throughout the process of them becoming a journeyperson or Red Seal designee;
• Responsible for securing paid or unpaid placements for the group participants;

• Identifies employers who are willing to offer paid or unpaid placements, designs work placements including wage subsidies incentives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• In-depth knowledge of an academic discipline normally acquired through completion of an undergraduate degree in Social Work, Adult Education, and/or Career Counselling or equivalent. (Cases for Equivalency will be considered);
• 1-3 years’ experience in related field;
• Group Facilitation and/or Life Skills Training required;
• Counselling approach that is flexible, de-escalates tension, teaches conflict resolution and is focused on success;
• Ability to work within an anti-oppression, feminist framework;
• Ability to deliver culturally sensitive services in a multicultural environment;
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure;
• Ability to handle crisis situations effectively both in person and by telephone;
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, E-mail, the Internet, Zoom, MS Teams or other videoconferencing applications, database programs; knowledge of a Learning Management System, an asset;
• Ability to maintain a positive approach and a professional manner at all times;
• Owning a motor vehicle would be an asset.

Please note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate prior to hiring. YWCA Toronto is a unionized workplace. Staff are represented by CUPE Local 2189. This position is not within the Bargaining Unit. Please indicate on your cover letter if you are a YWCA Toronto Employee. For YWCA Toronto employees, this position is not secondable.

Posting Date: June 26, 2026

 

YWCA Toronto transforms lives. As the city’s largest multi-service women’s organization, we help women and gender diverse people escape violence, move out of poverty and access safe, affordable housing.

We work tenaciously to break down barriers that hold women and gender diverse people back from achieving equality.

Vaccination Policy: In accordance with YWCA Toronto’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, all YWCA Toronto employees, students and volunteers are strongly encouraged to obtain all COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses as recommended by Toronto Public Health

Please note: A vulnerable sector police reference check is required by the successful candidate before hiring.

YWCA Toronto promotes the principles of anti-oppression and adheres to the tenets of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We encourage applications from women and gender-diverse people of all races, ethnic origins, religions, abilities and sexual orientations.

YWCA Toronto provides accommodation during all parts of the hiring process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. If contacted, please advise us if you require any accommodation. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

YWCA Toronto may use AI-supported tools to assist with parts of the recruitment process; all hiring decisions are made by people and guided by our commitment to equity and fairness.

YWCA Toronto is a Scent-Sensitive Workplace.