IRC Background: IRC offices across the U.S. ensure new arrivals have food, shelter, and clothing, and work with refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency. Within the immigration services in the US, IRC Northern California offices offer services to the general community in the area of know your rights, education about immigration avenues and application support for a range of immigration statuses up through citizenship.
Job Overview: The IRC in Turlock’s Employment department provides early employment, economic empowerment education, financial education/coaching and job readiness services to ensure clients achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. The IRC in Turlock’s Economic Empowerment program works to ensure that refugee adult clients have the skills and knowledge to become successfully employed, understand US financial systems, and in are economically independent. The Employment department provides programming focused on Vocational English as Second Language (VESL), employment search skills, and job readiness and on the job training education, industry specific trainings in hospitality/ customer service and financial education. VESL Instructor will plan and instruct Vocational English as a Second Language classes to adult refugees preparing for employment in the United States. This position reports to the Employment Program Coordinator.
Major Responsibilities:
•Plan and teach full time VESL classes to refugee adults with a focus on vocational English acquisition;
•Develop VESL lesson plans that enable clients to gain real- life skills and fully participate in their new communities;
•In coordination with Volunteer Coordinator and Employment Coordinator, assist IRC Employment team in managing volunteers and intern force;
•Collaborate with Employment Program Coordinator to enroll, track, and update clients’ participation in the VESL Program in accordance with contractual obligations;
•Maintain case file documents for clients’ participation and outcomes;
•Implement basic computer skills training using the IRC computer lab focusing on VESL instruction and Microsoft Office;
•Tailor lesson plans to meet the needs of varying language levels and cultural backgrounds of the refugee students;
•Administer initial client intake English exam, and regular assessments to ensure client’s English progress;
•Maintain case file documentation for individual clients’ activities and outcomes for reporting purposes;
•Monitor classroom participation, and maintain attendance records;
•Implement evaluation to determine success and usefulness of training and programming;
•Aid Economic Empowerment Program Manager in reporting errors or changes in client information in a timely fashion, communication with Social Services as needed;
•Encourage employment as the pathway to self-sufficiency for newly arrived refugees;
•Participate in IRC Communities of Practice, staff meetings, and other networking/learning opportunities in the network;
•Other duties as assigned.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Employment Coordinator
Indirect Reporting: Site director in Turlock
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: Program specialist, and Employment Specialist
External: Stanislaus County