CYCCB Workforce Connection

Practitioners certified by CYCCB are some of the most qualified people in the youth services profession. Listing your positions on CYCCB WORKFORCE CONNECTION gets your jobs in front of people that are qualified and have demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills you are seeking to hire.

When you list a position:

Your job will be listed on the CYCCB website so that people visiting the site will find it.
Monthly, certified practitioners receive emails from CYCCB notifying them that your job is listed and you are hiring.

There are two ways to list your position(s):

List a single position by uploading descriptive information in our jobs form. We will create the listing based on your information. A link will be provided so that applicants apply directly to you. If you fill the position and have time remaining on your listing, we will upload a different position for you. If you want to update a listing, we are happy to make the changes for you.

Link to your website’s job listing page. We list your organization in Workforce Connection with your logo. When people click on the listing, they go to your website’s job page to see all of the positions you have available. They can either use an application process described on your website or we can provide them with a link so they can apply directly to whoever you designate. Any updates on your website are automatically made to our listings. Upload your company information on our jobs form .

View Current Listings on Workforce Connection

What sets WORKFORCE CONNECTION apart from competitors?

There are over 3000 CYC practitioners certified by CYCCB. They are located all over the United States and Canada. All of them have demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills you are seeking to hire and are committed to working in the youth services field. Other job listing sites may get your jobs in front of more people, but most of them are not qualified or interested.

We link applicants directly to you, with no middle man. Most other job sites allow you to make a listing for free, but have you pay to look at any applications that fit your listing. You ultimately have to vet the applicants either way but our method puts you in the driver’s seat and is cheaper in the long run.

A workforce survey conducted by the Association for Child & Youth Care Practice in 2019 found that the most important issue to professional CYCs in the US and Canada is creating a sustainable workforce through fair wages and opportunities for advancement within the field (#1 in the US; #2 in Canada). Practitioners are looking for opportunities and many are willing to relocate. CYC Certified practitioners are often graduates from CYC specific university programs and mature practitioners who understand the value of credentialing. You are hiring people who bring the skills and background you need.

A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management found that the average cost to hire an employee is $4,129, with around 42 days needed to fill a position. According to Glassdoor, the average company in the United States spends about $4,000 to hire a new employee, taking up to 52 days to fill a position. In Youth and Family Services, turnover destroys relational gains and trust, two key ingredients in helping young people heal and thrive. Hiring for competence and demonstrated commitment is the new value proposition.

The most important factor in quality programming is the competence of the workforce. Hiring for experience and competence is an investment. Providing competitive benefits, pay, and working conditions are key to increasing retention and job satisfaction. CYC Certified practitioners need less up-front training in practice fundamentals, can create safer environments, and reduce dangerous incidents.

Pay for Listing on Workforce Connection

Improve your job listing results:

Is it clear what is required to do the job? What characteristics will a successful candidate have and what will (s)he be doing? Be clear and direct.
Salary and benefits matter and often make the difference. Are your offerings aligned with salaries and cost of living in your area? Do benefits for working with you match or exceed what others are offering?
What sets your company apart from others? What do you value? What makes your company important? Showcase your company brand and culture.
What opportunities for career advancement are available? Remember that CYC Certified practitioners have made an investment in their knowledge and skills. How is working for you offering opportunity for continued advancement?

General Conditions:

Job listings are on a monthly basis which is considered to be 30 days. Time begins the first day the listing is mounted and continues until the end of the listing period. Listing can be renewed so they are continuous.
Changes to job listing can take up to 3 days to complete but will be accomplished as quickly as possible. Notify CYCCB by email of any changes desired.
Payment for listings can be invoiced and paid for by check.

For more information, contact CYCCB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (979) 764-7306.

What CYCs Say ...

Slide 1

For the first time workers see themselves as professionals ... it’s a worldview changer when you realize you are part of an international movement instead of simply a sitter in a part time job.

Slide 2

CYCCB research shows that CYCs who successfully complete certification requirements are 2.7 times more likely to be viewed as top performers (Curry, et al., 2011).

Slide 3

One of the benefits of certification is increased motivation and a sense of accomplishment. Having to demonstrate my competence made me appreciate what I know in a new way.

Slide 4

The portfolio made me work. I really had to investigate the person that I am as a practitioner. It wasn’t something that you could just turn in, you had to do research; you had to think.

Slide 5

Before going through certification I don’t think my supervisors were really taking time to think about what I do and how competent I am. Certification gave an opportunity for my supervisor to identify my value by answering the questions from the application forms.

Slide 6

A benefit of certification is being part of something bigger. Being certified, I joined a large group of others who are working to raise standards of practice.

Slide 7

When I passed the test, I was ecstatic. It’s a good feeling to know that you have learned A LOT.

Slide 8

Certification gives you another way to define your skill set. Having certification gives you the ability to advocate for yourself.

Slide 9

A benefit of certification is increased recognition of the importance of advocacy for certification both within and outside the field. Certified CYC practitioners are our own best advocates.

Slide 10

Passing the exam definitely gave me confidence that I know what I’m doing. Being compared with so many others who do the same thing I do let me know where I stand in relationship to them.

Slide 11

It’s not just one or two steps and you’re done; it’s a lot of hard work… and it means something to be this capable.

Slide 12

Completing the certification process took self-motivation. No one can do the work for you.

Slide 13

Letting workers see themselves as professionals is a morale enhancer. It lets them know that you take them seriously as professionals and you want them to have a relevant credential.

Slide 14

In our organization we met in groups to get our applications completed. It was inspiring to see the support that we got from our agency and from each other.

Slide 15

Going through the certification process helped me become more reflective and increased my ability to conceptualize the good work that I do.

Slide 16

There are still people out there who think of youth workers as ‘glorified babysitters’. Certification helps address this misconception.

Slide 17

Completing certification is viewed as a signal of the seriousness of one’s commitment to professional youth work. It also brings attention from supervisors and administrators to workers’ skill sets.

Slide 18

Many practitioners involved in the certification process recognize that they are now “part of something bigger.” There is a profession of child and youth work and it exists as part of a world movement.

Slide 19

I think the certification process was really valuable in assessing what I do well and areas where I can reevaluate and do things differently.

Slide 20

It made me more efficient. When you’re more mindful about what you do and you know the meaning behind it, you’re able to be more planful and consistent.

Slide 21

Taking standardized tests is hard for me, you know? But passing it was an amazing validation of what I know and use everyday.

Slide 22

The need for advocacy to promote CYC certification and increase awareness of its importance within the field is often mentioned as an important goal of certification.

Slide 23

It was nice for me personally to see all of the trainings and courses I have taken being put toward something that can lead to making the child care field more important overall…it’s the bigger picture.

Slide 24

It’s given me insight into how serious people are in this profession about competence.

Slide 25

Self-motivation and a passion for the work are identified as key factors in being a competent practitioner.

Slide 26

Children and youth comprise approximately 25% of the U.S. population. The combined child and youth work workforce is estimated to be as high as six million (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2003). It is the largest human services workforce in the US.

Slide 27

Certification has allowed me to be more aware of what is going on in other areas of child and youth work.

Slide 28

The certification process helped me to create and maintain affiliation with member-based associations which offer networking opportunities and a sense of community.

Slide 29

Certification is a signal of one’s commitment to professional youth work.

Slide 30

Why can almost anyone go into afterschool or daycare? There should be a benchmark of common knowledge and ability. That is what certification is!

Slide 31

Certification helps to assure the community that we know what we’re doing and that we care to do it well. As a parent myself, I want to be sure that the people working with my children are the most qualified available.

Slide 32

The CYC Certification Preparation Workbook really helped me. It had the answers I was looking for when i was going through the application and testing process.

Global Movement

Child & Youth Care Workers are leading global change.

VIEW VIDEO

CYC Relational Care

Relationships are the Foundation

VIEW VIDEO

Answers to all your certification questions

Donate

Donate to support scholarships and to expand education and research.

DONATE