MT ARARAT COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER INC

Position Summary

The Professional Development Academy Youth Career Readiness Associate is a paid work-based learning position for high school students interested in strengthening their workplace skills, exploring career pathways, preparing for postsecondary education, and gaining practical experience in a professional community-based organization.

Participants will complete supervised assignments, career-readiness workshops, financial-literacy activities, community projects, workplace observations, and portfolio-building activities. Students will be expected to approach PDA as a professional commitment by reporting to work on time, completing assigned responsibilities, communicating appropriately, accepting feedback, and demonstrating growth throughout the placement.

This position is designed to help students connect what they learn in school with the expectations of college, training programs, apprenticeships, and employment.

Primary Responsibilities

Workplace Readiness

• Report to all scheduled work shifts, meetings, workshops, and activities on time.
• Accurately complete timesheets and required participation records.
• Follow instructions provided by the PDA Program Manager, worksite supervisor, instructors, and approved partners.
• Demonstrate professional communication with staff, peers, community partners, and visitors.
• Follow workplace expectations related to appropriate attire, cellphone use, technology, confidentiality, attendance, and safety.
• Notify the supervisor promptly when an absence, transportation issue, school obligation, or emergency may affect attendance.
• Participate in regular supervisor check-ins, coaching sessions, and performance reviews.
• Receive feedback respectfully and demonstrate an effort to improve.

Career and Postsecondary Preparation

• Complete career-interest, skills, and strengths assessments.
• Research careers, employers, industries, colleges, training programs, apprenticeships, and credentialing opportunities.
• Develop or update a professional résumé and cover letter.
• Practice completing job, college, scholarship, and training applications.
• Participate in mock interviews and professional communication exercises.
• Learn how to identify and request professional references.
• Create an individual career and education plan with short- and long-term goals.
• Attend approved employer presentations, career fairs, college visits, industry tours, job-shadowing experiences, and networking events.
• Learn how educational decisions, credentials, and workplace experience connect to future earning opportunities.

Financial Literacy

• Participate in financial-literacy sessions provided by PDA and approved community partners.
• Learn the basic purposes and functions of checking and savings accounts.
• Develop a personal spending plan or budget based on anticipated income and expenses.
• Establish a realistic short- or long-term savings goal.
• Learn how to read a pay statement and understand gross pay, net pay, taxes, and deductions.
• Explore responsible debit-card, online-banking, and direct-deposit practices.
• Learn the basic concepts of credit, borrowing, interest, fraud prevention, identity protection, investing, and compound growth.
• Complete required financial-literacy assignments and include selected work in the student’s professional portfolio.

Program and Community Projects

Depending on the student’s interests, age, skill level, and assigned project, duties may include:

• Assisting with the planning of youth events, workshops, community-service activities, and special projects.
• Preparing materials for meetings, presentations, or program activities.
• Conducting supervised research on community resources, careers, colleges, scholarships, and employment opportunities.
• Entering nonconfidential program information into approved spreadsheets or tracking systems.
• Assisting with approved surveys, participant feedback, data organization, and program evaluation.
• Developing flyers, presentations, newsletters, videos, podcasts, or social-media content under staff supervision.
• Supporting career fairs, college tours, financial-literacy workshops, guest-speaker sessions, and community events.
• Participating in supervised service-learning and neighborhood improvement projects.
• Assisting staff with organizing supplies, preparing activity spaces, and maintaining a professional program environment.
• Completing team-based projects that address an identified community or organizational need.
• Presenting completed work to staff, peers, families, community partners, or invited stakeholders.

Leadership and Teamwork

• Work cooperatively with other PDA participants and MACAC staff.
• Contribute ideas during planning meetings and group projects.
• Practice active listening, respectful disagreement, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Take increasing responsibility for assignments as skills and reliability improve.
• Support a welcoming environment in which participants feel safe, respected, and included.
• Demonstrate leadership by modeling positive behavior, encouraging peers, and completing assigned responsibilities.
• Participate in supervised peer-support or mentoring activities when appropriate.

Required Student Deliverables

Each participant will be expected to complete a professional portfolio containing selected items such as:

• Career-interest or strengths assessment
• Current résumé
• Sample cover letter
• Individual career and education plan
• Personal budget or spending plan
• Savings goal
• Sample job, college, scholarship, or training application
• Mock-interview feedback
• Work samples from assigned projects
• Weekly or biweekly reflections
• Supervisor evaluations
• Final capstone project or presentation

Deliverables may be adjusted based on the participant’s age, placement tier, interests, accommodations, and length of participation.

Schedule and Hours

The anticipated academic-year schedule is:

• Days: Monday through Thursday
• Hours: Approximately 3:00–6:00 p.m.
• Weekly commitment: Approximately 12 hours

Schedules may be adjusted to accommodate school calendars, transportation, approved field experiences, Partner4Work requirements, and worksite needs.

Summer schedules and total allowable hours will be determined by the student’s Learn & Earn tier, assigned provider, and approved work plan. Students may not work unapproved hours or continue working beyond their authorized program limit.