Workforce Development Jobs in Wheeling, IL (NOW HIRING)

Description

The Industry Lab Workforce Development Specialist is responsible for planning, facilitating, and overseeing engaging workforce development experiences for high school-aged youth members at the Woodlands Impact Center. This position combines hands-on workforce development programming with youth development and mentoring to help members build employability skills, career awareness, leadership abilities, and mechanical aptitude.

The Industry Lab Workforce Development Specialist leads daily Industry Lab / BuildLab activities, supports the Impact Center Pre-Apprenticeship Program, and assists with the Impact Crew workforce experience program. Through project-based learning, career exploration, and hands-on experiences, this role helps prepare members for future education, training, and employment opportunities.

The Industry Lab Workforce Development Specialist creates a safe, supportive, and engaging environment where members can develop workplace competencies, technical skills, confidence, and a strong work ethic while exploring various career pathways in the skilled trades and beyond.

Skills This Role Develops in Youth Members

• Hands-on trades skills: construction, fabrication, woodworking, electrical basics, plumbing fundamentals, HVAC awareness, and welding introduction
•  Tool literacy: safe and proper use of hand tools, power tools, measuring instruments, and job-site equipment
•  Trades math: measurements, fractions, unit conversions, area/volume calculations, and material estimation
•  Health & safety culture: OSHA basics, PPE habits, ergonomics, and jobsite hazard awareness
•  Problem-solving & critical thinking: diagnosing issues, selecting the right approach, and iterating solutions
•  Work ethic & professionalism: punctuality, reliability, taking pride in craftsmanship, and following through
•  Communication & self-advocacy: asking for help, giving and receiving feedback, and speaking up about safety concerns

Requirements

Youth Development & Experience Coaching

• Actively and collaboratively engage as a team member with Impact Center staff to meet program goals.
• Demonstrate leadership to support conduct, safety, life skills, employability skills, and workforce readiness goals.
• Plan, prepare, and administer daily Industry Lab experiences and workforce development activities while supervising high school-aged members.
• Develop written experience plans detailing activity objectives, materials required, procedures, and life and employability skills addressed.
• Deliver program objectives consistent with organizational goals, mission, and workforce development outcomes.
• Record daily attendance and participation.
• Ensure members receive instruction, guidance, and constructive feedback to develop technical, leadership, and employability skills.
• Recognize and reinforce positive behavior, teamwork, professionalism, and achievement.
• Continuously evaluate experiences and adapt programming to meet member interests and workforce trends.
• Serve as a positive mentor and role model with a sincere interest in each member's success.
• Model and teach the habits of skilled tradespeople: patience, precision, pride in work, and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Support members in setting short- and long-term goals & academic, career, and personal - helping them to track progress over time.

Industry Lab & Workforce Development Programming

• Facilitate hands-on projects that develop mechanical aptitude, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and technical skills.
• Lead activities related to construction, fabrication, woodworking, design, maintenance, tool safety, engineering concepts, and other workforce-related projects.
• Introduce members to core skilled trades disciplines including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, and masonry through exploratory projects and demonstrations.
• Teach proper tool identification, maintenance, and safe operation of hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments and reinforcing the habits of professional tradespeople. 
• Incorporate trades math into daily activities: fractions, measurements, material estimation, area/volume calculations, and reading a tape measure accurately.
• Guide members in reading and interpreting basic blueprints, schematics, and technical drawings relevant to construction and fabrication projects.
• Introduce OSHA 10 foundational concepts, jobsite safety culture, PPE selection and use, and hazard recognition as part of every hands-on session.
• Support the Impact Crew workforce experience program by helping members develop workplace competencies and job readiness skills.
• Teach employability skills including communication, teamwork, professionalism, time management, customer service, leadership, and workplace expectations.
• Assist members with career exploration activities and identifying potential career pathways in the skilled trades and related industries.
• Help members understand apprenticeship pathways, union programs, and trade certifications as viable routes to well-paying careers without a four-year degree.
• Coordinate and support guest speakers, workplace tours, career fairs, job shadowing opportunities, and workforce development events.
• Ensure all activities follow safety procedures and appropriate risk management practices.

Life Skills for the Future

This role explicitly integrates life skills alongside technical training, preparing members not just for their first job but for a successful, self-sufficient adult life.

• Teach time management strategies applicable both on the jobsite and in daily life; planning a workday, meeting deadlines, and balancing multiple responsibilities.
• Model and teach conflict resolution and professional communication skills: how to respectfully disagree, de-escalate tension, and advocate for oneself in workplace settings.
• Incorporate health and wellness education relevant to trades careers: physical conditioning for physical work, injury prevention, ergonomics, and the importance of rest and recovery.
• Help members develop problem-solving frameworks they can apply in any situation - breaking a challenge into steps, sourcing information, and evaluating solutions.
• Discuss civic responsibility and community investment: the role skilled tradespeople play in building and maintaining safe, functional communities.
• Teach members how to research, apply for, and prepare for apprenticeships, trade schools, and entry-level positions in the skilled trades.
• Support the development of a growth mindset & resilience, persistence through difficulty, and the understanding that skill is built through practice and effort.
• Guide members in building a professional network and understanding the value of references, mentors, and industry relationships throughout a career.

Community & Partnership Engagement

• Assist in developing relationships with local employers, skilled trades professionals, unions, workforce agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.
• Cultivate connections with local trade contractors, union halls, and apprenticeship coordinators to create real pathways from the Industry Lab to paid employment.
• Support recruitment initiatives to increase participation in workforce development programming.
• Help coordinate volunteer involvement and community partner engagement.
• Promote workforce development opportunities available through the Impact Center.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist with special events, workforce development showcases, competitions, field trips, community service projects, and career readiness initiatives.
• Participate in implementation of other Impact Center activities as necessary.
• Consult with parents and guardians regarding member participation and progress when appropriate.
• May be required to drive the Impact Center van periodically.
• Assist with maintaining a clean and organized Industry Lab and Impact Center, including sweeping, mopping, organizing tools and supplies, cleaning workstations, and maintaining equipment.
• Model and reinforce the trades professionals standard: a clean, organized workspace is a safe and productive workspace.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

This position operates in office, classroom, workshop, and community settings. The role requires regular interaction with youth, community partners, employers, and volunteers. Exposure to tools, equipment, dust, noise, and varying environmental conditions is expected and is a core part of creating an authentic trades learning environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, and move throughout program spaces for extended periods.
• Ability to demonstrate and supervise hands-on projects and activities.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials, equipment, and supplies up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to travel occasionally for field trips, employer visits, and community events.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle and maintain a valid drivers license and insurable driving record.

The following backgrounds are not required but describe the candidate most likely to thrive in this role. We encourage applicants who have non-traditional combinations of trade experience and people experience to apply.

Education

• Associates or Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Industrial Technology, Career & Technical Education (CTE), Youth Development, or a related field - OR equivalent trade and life experience
• Completed or in-progress trade apprenticeship in any skilled discipline (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, masonry, or related)
• Trade school or vocational program graduate
• OSHA 10 certification (required within 6 months of hire if not already held); OSHA 30 preferred
• CPR/First Aid/AED certification (or willingness to obtain)

Work Experience - Trades & Technical

• Journeyman-level or apprentice-level experience in any skilled trade
• Experience as a construction laborer, site supervisor, crew lead, or foreman with responsibility for training or directing others
• Fabrication, manufacturing, maintenance technician, or machinist background
• CTE instructor, shop teacher, vocational trainer, or trade school instructor experience
• Experience running or managing a trades-based small business (contractor, electrician, plumber, welder, etc.)
• Military service with a technical, construction, or engineering MOS/rating is strongly valued

Work Experience - Youth & People Development

• Youth program coordinator, after-school staff, camp counselor, or coach
• Mentor, tutor, or teaching assistant - especially in hands-on or technical settings
• Workforce development case manager, job readiness coach, or employment navigator
• Experience with Boys & Girls Club, YouthBuild, Job Corps, AmeriCorps, or similar programs
• Experience working with youth facing barriers: foster care, justice-involvement, housing instability, or economic hardship
• Sports coaching, team leadership, or extracurricular program facilitation

The Ideal Candidate

The sweet spot is someone who has worked with their hands AND genuinely enjoys   working with young people.

A journeyman carpenter who has coached youth sports, mentored a younger worker on a job site, or taught a neighbor how to fix something is more valuable here than someone with a youth development degree who has never picked up a circular saw - and more valuable than a skilled tradesperson who has never invested in someone else's growth.