Learning Support Strategist (Education Officer 2)

About Us

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration works to provide fairness, safety, and prosperity for all Nova Scotians by helping them live, learn, and work to their highest potential. We have a staff of more than 500 employees working from offices throughout Nova Scotia. Together we are responsible for workplace safety, fire safety, pensions, apprenticeship, adult education, and many other facets of everyday life. 

About Our Opportunity

• Do you thrive on creating learner centred, data driven, individualized and accessible learning supports for post secondary learners to reduce barriers and leverage their strengths?
• Have you tutored or taught adults with learning differences in, for example, math, trades math, reading, memory skills, executive functions?
• Are you a creative curriculum designer and educator with a keen interest in neurodiversity and its impact on how adults learn and retain information?

The Learning Strategist is responsible for determining accessibility needs of apprentices to design and deliver an individualized learning support program that impacts tradespeople and employer’s province wide. This includes collaborating with internal and external program partners and working closely with the Coordinator of Apprenticeship Learning Support.

The Learning Strategist conducts assessments, analyzes data, implements resources and assists with tracking, evaluating, and planning for future enhancement of accessibility programs and policies.

This position reports to the Coordinator Apprenticeship Learning Supports.

Primary Accountabilities

• Conducts continuous intake of apprentices who are referred to learning support.
• Builds relationships with clients, educational and employer partners, and colleagues to provide consistent and effective supports.
• Administers diagnostic assessments to determine level of need.
• Prioritizes the level of interventions and accommodations to manage a caseload of apprentices requiring varying levels of support.
• Develops and/or delivers a customized learning plan for apprentices at various times throughout their training with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Tracks progress and monitors needs, engagement of individual and cohorts’ progression and providing processes and tools to provide timely and effective interventions.
• Identifies accessibility gaps and inequitable learning processes suggests actionable improvements to existing processes, systems, and procedures, in collaboration with senior colleagues.
• Ensures best practices and accessibility standards are in place supporting apprentices in the workplace and in the technical training context.
• Refers apprentice, when recommended, to seek an educational psychological assessment with a professional and collaborates with the medical professional to clearly explain the results of that assessment and next steps in the learning support processes.
• Maintains client confidentiality and always attends to privacy agreements
• Flexibility to work some non-traditional hours.
  
  

Qualifications and Experience

You have a bachelor’s degree in adult education, counselling psychology, social work, or a degree in a related field and 7 years of related experience; or a masters degree in a related field and 5 years of related experience; an equivalent combination of training and relevant experience will be considered. Related experience is defined as teaching post secondary learners, tutoring in academic and/or workplace skills, supporting learners with physical, emotional, psychological and/or learning disabilities /differences. You are an excellent listener and communicator who models patience, respect, and professionalism. You understand individual and cultural nuances of diverse learning and workplace contexts and demonstrate best practices that support psychological safety, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

The ideal candidate for Learning Strategist also has lived experience and/or experience working with and understanding the needs of various communities and individuals in Nova Scotia (e.g., African Nova Scotians, Persons with Disabilities, Youth, Older Worker, Indigenous, Francophone, Newcomers, and Immigrants) and understands the challenges that many face in completing their training.

As the successful candidate, you will have demonstrated experience in:

• Using online platforms to communicate, coach or teach
• Creating and implementing clear learning plans and monitoring learning progress to adjust the plans as needed
• Respectfully eliciting client needs /learning analysis  hat when analyzed, helps to direct decisions on various learning support interventions and accommodations
• Analyzing, interpreting, and applying an accessibility and inclusion lens to communication, interactions, conflict, operational processes, and procedures

You have knowledge of software applications such as: Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Word, One Note, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, etc.), on-line databases, and assistive technology for learning i.e., speech to text, memory aids, translators, private sittings, peer note taking and study groups.

While not required, it is considered an asset if you speak languages other than English, have studied or worked in the trades, taken or taught STEM courses, have an understanding of the way apprenticeship positively impacts the labour market, and understand the socio-economic and demographic factors that impact the effective delivery of LSI programs and services.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: oral presentations, interview(s), writing demonstration and reference checks.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion
  
  

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• Department specific flexible working schedules