Peer Counselor Job Description
October 2024 to June 30^th, 2025
 
 
INTRODUCTION
This project is funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State of Illinois Rapid Response Program. The purpose of Rapid Response is to promote economic recovery and vitality by developing an ongoing, comprehensive approach to identifying, planning for, or responding to layoffs and dislocations and preventing or minimizing their impacts on workers, businesses, and communities. The funding expands the capacity to serve dislocated workers and meet the demand for WIOA employment and training services with a goal to re-employ laid-off workers and enhance their employability and earnings. Specifically, this grant is designed to support enhanced efforts to connect dislocated workers to jobs, including individualized career counseling, job search assistance, short-term training credentialing opportunities, and local labor market guidance to inform workers of career pathways. The primary responsibilities of SERCO are to offer paid work experience opportunities to increase the numbers of enrolled dislocated worker participants and expand our job search assistance capacity.
 
Peer Counselor Role:
The first step involves selecting a worker(s). Once hired, that person will become a temporary worker under this scope and the above name Sub-Grantee will function as Employer of Record. The goal of the dislocated worker will be to function as a Peer Counselor to dislocated workers and will assist job seekers interested in employment and/or training services to navigate and access workforce services and find employment. An important task of the Peer Counselor role will be to follow up with job seekers from lay-off events, other WARN events, and any referrals from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) submitted through our referrals system, Airtable. Currently, IDES representatives are uploading lists of dislocated workers into the Airtable referral system. As Peer Counselors successfully contact participants, they will assess the job seeker’s interest in WIOA services. They will also provide individual career coaching and job assistance. Lastly, Peer Counselors will assist with any pre-hiring and hiring events that will connect job seekers to employers.