Instructor - Project SEARCH

Sertoma Center; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Sertoma Center in Knoxville, TN is seeking a dedicated Project SEARCH Instructor to develop and coordinate the program, delivering employability skills curricula and guiding interns toward competitive employment.

You will recruit students, arrange internships, collaborate with families, host business staff, and lead team meetings, while updating records and supporting interns through career planning and job development.

Qualifications

• 12 months of work experience with individuals with disabilities.
• 2+ years as classroom instructor or program coordinator.
• Ability to employ a variety of instructional strategies that connect curriculum to the learner.
• Knowledge of current best practices in transition and supported employment.
• Experience differentiating lessons to meet varied learning styles.
• Effective interpersonal communication with interns, families, staff, and community agencies.
• Organizational ability, self-directedness, and initiative.
• Ability to make decisions and problem-solve within a team.

Responsibilities

• Recruit appropriate students with disabilities for the Project SEARCH program.
• Attend community events for student recruitment.
• Connect students to community services via referrals and eligibility processes.
• Identify internships within host business that build marketable skills.
• Ensure internships include measurable skills gain assessed by productivity, quality, and safety.
• Facilitate regular Employment Planning Meetings with interns, families, and agency personnel.
• Identify and solve challenges to complete the program and gain employment.
• Use universal design concepts to design accommodations at internship sites.
• Use VocFit and other tools to evaluate progress and communicate with the team.
• Assess intern progress frequently and adjust instruction accordingly.
• Develop resumes/portfolios documenting skills, internships, and certifications.
• Provide employability skills curriculum in classroom and reinforce in internships.

Skills

Instructional strategies

Interpersonal skills

Organizational ability

Team collaboration

Differentiated instruction

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

About this position

Instructor - Project SEARCH

Knoxville, TN

Description:

Title: Instructor, Project SEARCH

Reports to: Director of Employment

Job Type: Full Time

General Summary of Position:

Under the direction of the administrator and in accordance with established policies and procedures, the Project SEARCH Instructor will help develop and coordinate the Project SEARCH program and provide instruction for students enrolled. The Project SEARCH instructor delivers the employability skills curriculum and works with each intern’s team to reach the goal of competitive employment.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• 1. Recruit appropriate students with disabilities for Project SEARCH program.
• 2. Attend community events for possible student recruits.
• 3. Connect students to appropriate community services such as State Rehabilitation Services or local Developmental Disabilities agencies through referral and eligibility processes.
• 4. Identify internship sites within the host business to identify internships that build a repertoire of marketable skills that lead to competitive, integrated employment.
• 5. Ensure that internships include measurable skills gain that is assessed according to productivity, quality, and safety benchmarks.
• 6. Facilitate regular Employment Planning Meetings with interns, families, and agency personnel to determine career interests, specific job preferences, skills, and abilities to design an individualized approach to job development.
• 7. Identify and problem solve solutions for challenges that interfere with completion of Project SEARCH and gaining and maintaining employment.
• 8. Use universal design concepts to design and implement accommodations and adaptations needed at the internship sites.
• 9. Use VocFit and other assessment tools to evaluate intern progress, communicate with the team, and identify additional skill/task development.
• 10. Assess intern progress frequently, communicate that progress regularly to the intern’s team and make instructional and training adjustments and provide interventions for interns who are not making progress.
• 11. Develop resumes/portfolios for each intern that document measurable skills gain, internship experiences, any certifications gained, recommendations, etc.
• 12. Provide Project SEARCH employability skills curriculum in the classroom and reinforce in the internships to develop skills, knowledge and work habits leading to successful employment.
• 13. Continuously update the Member Portal to maintain records of staff changes, interns’ internship experiences and employment outcomes including jobs gained, wages, hours worked per week, benefits taken, etc.
• 14. Actively participate in Project SEARCH Steering Committee and onsite team meetings.
• 15. Coordinate and schedule onsite skills trainers to meet the support needs of the interns.
• 16. Work with the business liaison and onsite team to secure competitive, integrated employment at the host business or in the community.
• 17. Coordinate travel training (when appropriate) through public transportation or other available transit methods.
• 18. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Recommended:

• 1. CRP staff must have at least 12 months of work experience working with individuals disabilities
• 2. A minimum of two years successful, recent, and relevant experience as a classroom instructor or program coordinator.
• 3. Demonstrated ability to employ a variety of instructional strategies that connect the curriculum to the learner.
• 4. Knowledgeable of current best practices in the field of transition and supported employment.
• 5. Experienced in differentiating lessons and settings to meet the needs of interns and their varied learning styles.
• 6. Effective interpersonal communication skills that promote relationship-building with interns, families, host business staff, Project SEARCH team members, and other community agencies.
• 7. Organizational ability, self-directedness, and initiative when given a variety of responsibilities and assigned tasks.
• 8. Ability to make decisions and problem-solve within a team of service providers.

Employment Requirements

• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Valid TN Driving Licenses
• US Work AuthorizationMust be at least 19 years of age
• No more than 3 moving violations on your MVR within the past 3 years
• At least 3 years clean driving experience
• Written and Verbal Bilingual Fluency is a plus
• 5 years of verifiable work history

Sertoma Center, Inc. is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. As a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual stereotyping, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), or any other protected characteristic. We participate in E-Verify. We participate in the Tennessee Drug-Free Workplace Program

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