Employment Training Specialist

• Assists individuals in obtaining appropriate competitive employment, ensuring job match consistent with individual's skills, strengths, and preferences.
• Assists individuals to be knowledgeable about job duties, benefits, rates of pay, employment policies and practices, and job location prior to acceptance.
• Establishes and maintains effective community employment contacts, working closely with local employers to develop and identify job opportunities.
• Provides on-going follow-up and support services to the individual to assist them in adjusting to and maintaining their employment. Assists individuals in accessing other community resources as necessary.
• Maintains contact with employers to provide follow-up support and ensure satisfaction with services. Assists individuals in obtaining information on how their employment income will impact benefits (i.e. SSI, SSDI) and monitors income and its relationship to benefits.
• Establishes and nurtures business relationships through participating and/or maintaining membership in community organizations such as Chamber of Commerce, business organizations, and service organizations and attending community events such as career fairs.
• Obtains funding for individuals in job development (i.e. MRS, CMH).
• Maintains an organized system of recording job openings, including the names of employers, persons referred, and actions taken, and completes documentation in the timeframe established by supervisor.
• Completes safety analysis of employment sites to assure a safe environment.
• Provides feedback of information with other personnel regarding community employment opportunities and labor market trends.
• Coordinates with community employment staff to arrange appropriate placements, transportation and coaching for employment sites.
• Assists employers to identify and eliminate barriers to employment for the individuals employed.
• Maintains contact with service team members (case managers, parents, guardians, etc).
• Trains individuals new to community employment.
• Assures the rights of individuals served are protected in accordance with the Michigan Mental Health Code and agency policy.
• Actively supports and be knowledgeable about 1) culturally competent, recovery-based practices, 2) person-centered planning as a shared decision-making process with the individual who defines his or her own life goals and is assisted in developing a unique path toward those goals and 3) a trauma informed culture to aid clients in their recovery process.
• Use personal vehicle to provide transportation to individuals served. Adhering to all traffic laws and rules of the road.
• Completes other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

• Professionalism and the ability to communicate with people at all levels; building and sustaining professional relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal skills at technical and professional levels.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Must be administratively and pragmatically detail oriented.
• Ability to exercise independent and sound judgment.
• Must demonstrate experience learning and utilizing various softwares and databases
• Work well in a team as well as independently
• Must be able to accommodate schedule flexibility to meet client needs including occasional evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Must become certified as an Employment Training Specialist (ETS) within 6 months of hire.
• Criminal records, driving and recipient rights screening required.
• Valid Michigan driver's license, good driving record and the availability of licensed, insured vehicle for use on the job required.

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Prior experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness preferred.

• Must be able to stand, walk, reach, bend, and handle objects, tools or controls.
• May occasionally require lifting up to 35 pounds.

• Local travel throughout the community to meet with prospective and current employment locations, attend networking events, training and other local travel as required by position. Occasional overnight travel.
• Working hours will involve evenings and weekends as determined by the needs of the people we serve and program operations.
• Work may involve being outside in all weather conditions and indoor/outdoor industrial, retail, fast-food and other conditions.
• May be exposed to bloodborne pathogens, infectious diseases, and parasites.

MRC Industries