Newcomer Youth Advisor

Be the Spark! Join our passionate team and help us to achieve great things in our community!

The Newcomer Youth Advisor develops and facilitates sessions for newcomer youth that are relevant to their settlement process, and which encourages them to become involved in their new community.  The position works closely with staff from across the Association and externally in the community and schools to recruit and engage newcomer youth.  The position is also responsible for finding meaningful volunteer opportunities for participants, overseeing community service projects initiated by the youth, building relationships with parents of newcomer youth, outreach, promotion, recruitment, program evaluation and reporting.

The Advisor must ensure they are proactive in staying abreast of leading trends in youth, teen and young adult development. The position will provide a practical link to all NYLD programs to integrate principles of Positive Youth Development, the four strategic frameworks of Harm Reduction, Model of Change, Social Determinants of Health and Abundant Assets into all newcomer youth leadership programs.  

In this role, you will:

• Develop and implement Newcomer Youth Leadership Development programming. 


• Recruit and retain diverse youth membership from surrounding communities, manage the process from inquiry to registration and maintain long-term participation and retention as a YMCA member. 


• Anticipate youth and community needs and assist in future program and leadership opportunity planning. 


• Assist in planning and implementing special NYLD events throughout the year, including Peace by Piece, Family Days, Integration Conference, Recognition events, celebrations, and trainings. 


• Work with the NYLD team to plan and deliver family engagement activities. 


• Conduct needs assessments within the community and build relationships to promote newcomer youth and parent programs. 


• Outreach to the community through presentations and relationship building with other newcomer settlement agencies, work to build referral mechanisms. 


• Deliver presentations in schools and the community to raise awareness of NYLD and reach more newcomer youth. 


• Research, collect, and organize settlement-related information pertaining to youth.


• Prepare monthly narrative reports for submission with the association’s report to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 


• Perform other duties as assigned. 

What you need to succeed: 

• Commitment to the YMCA’s Mission, Vision and Values.


• Focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of all children, youth, and vulnerable people in YMCA programs including understanding legal and moral obligations related to reporting suspected child abuse to Child Protection Services.


• YMCA Competencies: Accountable, Relationship-Builder, Improvement-Orientated, Team Player & Leader, Equity and Wellbeing Promoter.

You bring:

• University Degree or Community College Diploma in related field or equivalent training/work experience. 


• Experience working with teens and young adults is a requirement. 


• Demonstrated knowledge of settlement services and community information resources geared towards newcomer youth. 


• Superior presentation, facilitation, and organization skills. 


• Flexibility regarding work hours including evenings and weekends and at different locations. 


• Ability to communicate in a second language is an asset.  


• Proficient with personal computer applications, e.g. Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, and Internet search engines; familiarity with social media required. 


• Experience working with newcomers to Canada an asset. 


• Well-developed interpersonal, and relationship building skills; ability to establish rapport and excellent communication with members, staff and volunteers. 


• Excellent written communication skills and project management skills. 


• Excellent understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity including the ability to identify and address barriers, work effectively with diverse stakeholders, and integrate equity into program design.

Why work for the YMCA?

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a charity that ignites the potential in people, helping them grow, lead, and give back to their communities. We are committed to helping our employees reach their full potential and are recognized as a great place to work. We offer meaningful jobs and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the health of our communities. See what you can expect from the YMCA here.

Joining the Y means contributing to over 170 years of providing opportunities for people to shine through programs and services, such as health and fitness, licensed child care, camps, employment and immigrant services, education and training, and services for youth, families, and seniors. Learn more in our 2025–2030 strategic plan, Greater Together, which outlines how we are focused on building communities where people feel healthier and more connected to their neighbours.

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. We strive to remove barriers to employment and recognize that diverse staff who reflect the communities we work in enrich the experiences of our participants and our team. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite applications from all qualified candidates including racialized people/people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, disabled people/people with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

If we can make the recruitment process more accessible for you, please let us know when we reach out about a job opportunity so we can work with you to accommodate your needs.

In keeping with our commitment to safety and child protection, job offers are contingent on the successful completion of a Police Records Check. Within the first four months and every three years thereafter, a Vulnerable Police Records Check is required. Learn more about these checks here. 

The YMCA only considers applicants who are legally entitled to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, due to the volume of applications we receive, we can only contact candidates who are selected for an interview.

Check out the next steps in our recruitment process and see what others are saying about working at the YMCA.