Job Description

November 25, 2025 Posting #1515

YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth. We are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in-home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop-in spaces. YouthLink works towards equitable outcomes for youth in our community and, as such, is committed to equity-based hiring practices.

We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, and racialized people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences. We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma-informed lens. We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and will embrace working outside of Euro-centric practices.

YouthLink Benefits are Top of Class!

Competitive pay

Health & dental coverage for you and your family with 100% premium cost paid by employer.

Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of

20

working days per year.

5

'authorized absence' days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.

3

paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months service.

Maternity / parental /adoption leave top-up payments (to top-up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).

100% premium cost for long-term disability coverage paid by employee.

Eligibility to participate in pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with generous matching contribution from employer

Student Development Worker

(Full-time 35 hours per week)

(Bargaining Unit Position)

The Student Development Worker reports to Manager, Student Supports and Programming and is responsible for building relationships and facilitating communication with students, parents/guardians and secondary school teachers/administration with the objective of supporting students' academic success. This includes identifying students' strengths and challenges and working collaboratively with the Pathways team and secondary school partners to ensure that students are appropriately supported both within school and within the Pathways Program.

The Student Development Worker works closely with the Managers, Program Facilitators, and volunteers to deliver the tutoring and mentoring components of the Pathways to Education Program. This includes facilitating scheduled evening tutoring and mentoring sessions with youth, designing individual and group activities, and acting as a tutor/mentor when required. Student Development Workers research, create, and promote resources to support the development of academic and life skills, employment and training, volunteerism, as well as recreational, career, post-secondary and internship opportunities.

Highlights of Your Role

Foster and maintain relationships with clients, families, schools and community:

Establish and maintain supportive relationships with Pathways participants and families to ensure consistent weekly communication on needs and progress. Provide ongoing and specified support to a fixed caseload of participants year round informed by continual data collection, check-ins, and case conferencing. Strengthen relationships with secondary school staff and administrators as well as community partners to support their efforts to engage Pathways participants. Build a formal understanding of the strengths, capacities, barriers, and challenges faced by clients and apply this understanding to referring clients to appropriate resources within the Pathways program. Conduct referrals and connect Pathways clients to other services and supports available in the community that can benefit needs not addressed by internal resources and school partners. Act as a reliable liaison for school staff, students, and families by supporting strong communication between these parties and providing additional support to explain and clarify programmatic or school requirements to clients and families. Provide advocacy on academic, post-secondary and/or employment readiness, and other matters relevant to program participants' healthy growth and development. Guide clients through check-in conversations and meetings regarding credit accumulation, course selection, general learning strategies, and the pursuit of formal academic accommodations and assessments such as Individual Education Plans and Learning Disability assessments. Engage and communicate with a wide array of clients all coming from diverse backgrounds and unique barriers, using strengths-based strategies and an adherence to principles of equity, inclusivity, and anti-oppressive practices. Ensure that Pathways clients are attending and engaging consistently in academic support and social supports programming with an understanding of its immediate and latent benefits.

Data Intake, Administration and Collaborative Case Management:

Completes and inputs client case notes, financial supports, attendance, status sheets/ credit counselling summaries, referrals, and progress reporting data into the Pathways to Education databases PASS and Connex in a timely and accurate manner. Conducts registration and re-registration processes with new and returning clients and families using paper applications, the online Connex platform, and other multi-modal methods. Communicates challenges with case management software, gaps in data completion, and suggestions for improving systems associated with data intake in a proactive manner with direct supervisors. Drafts progress reports, warning letters, letters of reference, letters for volunteer hours, and other forms of formal addresses to families and other partners using professional language and approved formatting rules outlined by supervisors and agency policies. Crafts, sends, and responds to emails to school partners, colleagues, and other allied support in a professional manner in adherence with policies based in confidentiality and sensitive information. Documents interactions with students, parents and school staff in accordance with program policies in approved data bases with a high degree of detail and description. Participates consistently in regularly ongoing all-staff meetings and SDW meetings. Contribute to case-conferencing dialogues with other SDW's to ensure holistic coverage for participants by all staff. Maintains knowledge of Ontario secondary school curriculum, common post-secondary pathways, labour trends for youth, ongoing changes in the education system provincially, and the roles/staff commonly found in secondary schools Supports clients' applications for volunteer and employment opportunities, postsecondary education, OSAP, scholarships, and other miscellaneous services and opportunities addressing their academic, personal, and professional development. Takes all reasonable and necessary precautions to protect his or her own health and safety and that of co-workers by complying with and demonstrating knowledge of the policies, procedures and safe practices established by YouthLink.

Plan and Facilitate Academic and Social Supports Programming:

Facilitate in-person academic support programming in tutoring sessions hosted on an after-school basis as scheduled during the school year. Facilitate in-person social supports programming intermittently throughout the school year in the form of special interest clubs, workshops, and community events. Advertise and encourage clients on caseload to regularly attend Pathways programming in line with established rules for participation and engagement. Attend excursions as and when required for field trips and outside community partner initiatives that the program will routinely engage with. Provide insight, advice, and feedback to volunteer tutors, mentors, and Site Support Staff to improve their ability to communicate and engage with Pathways clients. Inject cultural relevance, civic engagement, and critical thinking into planned programming through activities and methods of facilitation. Curate brave and safe spaces for such programming in order for youth of diverse backgrounds to feel welcomed, supported, and represented. De-escalate conflicts and regulate errant behaviour in programming spaces in adherence with the YouthLink Code of Conduct and established site-specific rules. Investigate new opportunities in the community that clients may benefit from catering to their needs in academic, personal, and professional development. Conduct general labour associated with setting up, tearing down, and supplementing resources for programming sites (e,g chairs, tables, groceries, and technology).

Supporting Organizational Strategy:

Attend Town Halls, agency wide trainings, agency wide events, and other meetings requiring the interaction between YouthLink staff across all programs. Contribute to the drafting and planning of annual strategic plan operatives associated directly with the Pathways program as well as the broader service goals of YouthLink. Complete surveys, reports, and questionnaires requesting comments and opinions of performance, progress, and personal feelings associated with the role, the program, and the agency in an honest but respectful manner. Commit to an ongoing ethic of learning, reflection, and discourse associated with principles of combatting anti-Black racism, promoting equity and inclusivity, and uplifting youth voices to inform service delivery.

Other duties as assigned.

Highlights of What You Bring

:

Diploma in Social Services Work, Child and Youth Work, Youth and Community Justice, or a related program. University degree (undergraduate or graduate) in Social Work, Child and Youth Care, Psychology, Education, or a related program is preferred. CPI; Crisis Prevention Training is an asset. CPR First Aid Level C + AED is an asset.
:

One (1) year experience working with youth in a variety of different contexts One (1) year experience with filing, data intake, and administrative work. One (1) year experience working in an Ontario High School in a student-serving capacity is an asset. Demonstrated knowledge of youth engagement practices. Knowledge of barriers and challenges that youth face in Toronto. Capable of standing and sitting for long intermittent periods of time. Capable of travelling by personal vehicle or public transportation to schools across Toronto. Capable to comfortably using Microsoft Office Suite and basic internet web browser usage. Experience with filing, data intake, and administrative work under tight deadlines is an asset. Experience working with youth from culturally diverse and low income communities is an asset. Experience working with diverse teams and volunteers to provide cohesive client support is an asset. Experience with supporting newcomers and youth who struggle with English communication is an asset. Experience with managing and assessing large caseloads of clients accessing multiple supports is an asset. Experience with quickly learning third party case management software to input and access client data is an asset. Experience supporting youth through high school graduation into post-secondary work or schooling is an asset. Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with schools, community programs, and businesses is an asset. Experience supporting youth facing suspension, expulsion, criminal charges, or other disciplinary actions limiting their ability to attend and engage in school is an asset.
::

Demonstrated ability to be flexible, and possess strong problem-solving skills. Ability to work effectively both independently and as member of a multi-disciplinary team. Informal counselling techniques and case management skills. Knowledge of the Ontario secondary school curriculum is an asset. Strong program planning, coordination, and facilitation skills with large groups of youth. Excellent interpersonal and effective communication and written skills. Strong proficiency in Microsoft software applications: CRM, power point, word, excel and publisher, as well as SharePoint and social media. Excellent customer service, interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to work with clients and staff to ensure a welcoming, effective and efficient, discrimination free working environment. Significant understanding and knowledge of systemic barriers and oppression rooted in colonization, racism, transphobia, classism, misogyny, moralism, ableism, and how they impact young people. Operates using and Anti- Black Racism /Anti- Oppression lens. Excellent time management and organizational skills. Demonstrated knowledge of, and sensitive to, the impact of social, economic, environmental and cultural issues on diverse communities. High comfort working with youth in high school. Ability to speak a second language spoken within the community (Tamil, Urdu, Farsi, Creole, French, and Spanish) is an asset. Knowledge of Scarborough and/or the Scarborough Village community is an asset. A valid G Level license and regular access to a vehicle is an asset.

Additional Requirements:

Must be able to obtain a Broad Record Police Check.

Compensation:

Salary - Starting $50,105

Work Location:

1 - 3545 Kingston Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 1R6

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

The position may be scheduled up to 3 evenings per week and occasional weekends. This position requires the ability to lift tables and program materials when setting up community space on a regular basis.

Full job description available here:

https://youthlink.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/JD-Student-Development-Worker-Nov-2025.pdf

How to Apply

Submit application to

pathwaysposting@youthlink.ca -Please quote posting #1515 in the subject line.

As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from qualified candidates who reflect the diversity of our communities. If you have a disability and require accessibility accommodations with the application process, please contact accessibility@youthlink.ca.

Job Posting closing date - Open Until Filled.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From $50,105.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Company pension Dental care Employee assistance program Extended health care Life insurance On-site parking Paid time off Vision care
Work Location: In person