Employment & Training Assistant

An employee in this position is responsible for performing a variety of administrative support tasks such as information gathering, conducting initial interviews with, and verifying eligibility of, participants, and under supervision, counseling, job development, and monitoring of sub-grantees. The work differs from clerical work in that the incumbent is required to apply acquired knowledge of Employment and Training regulations and principles to individual situations and has an independence of judgment not permitted in clerical disciplines. The position is under the direct supervision of a higher-level employment position. Supervision may be exercised over clerical personnel; does related work as required.

Either:
a) Two years of permanent status in a clerical position in Otsego County; OR
b) One year permanent status as a Social Welfare Examiner in Otsego County Notes: Candidates permanently appointed to a qualifying title and had provisional service in the same title immediately preceding the permanent appointment, such provisional service may be counted towards meeting the time in title required to apply for this examination per Civil Service Law Section 52.1.10.B

A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the following areas:
1. ADVISING AND INTERACTING WITH OTHERS - These questions test for the ability to interact with other people in order to gather and present information and to provide assistance and advice in a courteous and professional manner.
2. PREPARING WRITTEN MATERIAL - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
3. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING - These questions test for knowledge and understanding of the principles, practices, and techniques of employment counseling. Questions may include such topics as counseling individuals and/or groups on employment-related issues; providing support, advocacy, and accountability; and developing job opportunities throughout the community.
4. INTERVIEWING - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in obtaining information from individuals through structured conversations. These questions require you to apply the principles, practices, and techniques of effective interviewing to hypothetical interviewing situations. Included are questions that present a problem arising from an interviewing situation, and you must choose the most appropriate course of action to take. Test guide: The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

There are no residency requirements for this examination. However, preference in appointment may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of Otsego County for at least one month immediately preceding the scheduled date of the written examination.

The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies as they occur in the Otsego County Department of Social Services under the jurisdiction of the Otsego County Personnel/Civil Service Department.