YouthBuild Student Success Advocate

At Central Carolina Community College, we create transformative lifelong learning opportunities! We expect all employees to find ways to remove barriers to student success and provide all students a pathway to achievable dreams. Our employees are charged to recognize the challenges we face and to respond to them with empathy, understanding, and a willingness to help. 

YouthBuild programs provide pathways for youth and young adults who are out of school and out of work to a living wage job. All over the world, YouthBuild programs unleash the positive energy of low-income young people to rebuild their communities and their lives, breaking the cycle of poverty with a commitment to work, education, family, and community. Central Carolina Community College’s YouthBuild program works to enroll and graduate approximately 76 students (ages 16-24) from high school equivalency and non-credit courses in Construction, Culinary, and Nurse Aide with a goal of continuing their pathways into curriculum programs or directly into the workforce.

The Student Success Advocate provides programmatic and direct student support for the Central Carolina YouthBuild program, which operates out of Lee County. The Student Success Advocate provides YouthBuild students an opportunity to explore issues and concerns about independent life, improve communication and interpersonal skills, manage stress and life challenges effectively, and make positive changes that lead to increased personal, vocational, and academic success.

This is a grant-funded position with an anticipated grant end date of September 2026 with the possibility of the grant being renewed by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Continuation of position is subject to continued grant funding.
Please include unofficial copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Will be required to submit official copies of transcripts before start date.
This position may have occasional travel between campuses and for training. Occasional after hours may be required.  
Diversity Policy:  Central Carolina Community College believes the college experience is greatly enriched through diversity; therefore, the college encourages diversity of thought within the student body and staff. Furthermore, the college seeks to promote awareness of diversity and the respect for all individuals, and the college pledges to adhere to this mission in its relationship with the community.  

• Review needs assessments to determine which supportive services will most directly benefit each participant.

• Meet at least monthly with each active participant to determine if services are in place and if new supportive services/referrals are needed.

• Advise a caseload of 20-30 construction students per year using an intrusive advising model guided by an appreciative advising approach.

• Create and monitor Individualized Service Strategy Plans for each YouthBuild participant in the construction pathway.

• Conduct targeted outreach to students referred by instructors, advisors, or others by providing coaching designed to alleviate barriers to student success or making referrals to local resources, including resources to support mental health, housing needs, hunger, financial challenges, or other needs.

• Assess participant and family resource needs and address the gaps in services by skill building and coordinating with other service providers.

• Maintain contact and collaborative relationships with agencies commonly utilized by the child/family (i.e., local schools, department of corrections, public agencies).

• Advise appropriate college personnel regarding student concerns.

• Facilitate workshops for students focused on topics included in YouthBuild’s leadership competencies. Examples include but are not limited to test-taking anxiety, time management, financial aid, financial literacy, communication, conflict resolution, civics, etc…

• Plan and implement cultural enrichment opportunities for program participants.

• Assist Job Developer and other advisors with tracking participants in the follow-up period, collecting necessary documentation as needed.

• Document all contacts in student files, maintaining the confidentiality of student data.

• Meet weekly with other college staff to discuss achievements and concerns of the program and individual students, and implement program modifications for improvement, if necessary.

• Collaborate with college administrators, faculty, and staff to promote retention, graduation, and college transfer or job placement of all YouthBuild participants.

• Oversee YouthBuild’s social media accounts.

• Advise and oversee YouthBuild’s student council.

• Serve on college committees as assigned.

• Complete the annual five-hour staff development.

• Encourage and support college activities, policies, procedures, and philosophies.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Recognizing and respecting the variety of experiences and contributions represented by all of our students, employees, and community, the YouthBuild Student Success Advocate will encourage a learning environment where everyone is supported and valued for their unique perspectives and experiences and will foster and promote the participation of all members of our diverse communities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, or related field.

• Two years of experience working with at-risk youth.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to utilize effective problem-solving skills with participants and families. 

• Ability to utilize problem-solving and negotiating skills to empower participants to work through concerns with YB staff.

• Knowledge of relevant community supports and social service organizations.

• Effective oral and written communication skills.

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, or a related field.

• Bi-lingual.

• Experience working with YouthBuild or other federal grant programs.