Employment and Retention Specialist

Program Description:

Project Renewal’s Culinary Arts Training Program (CATP) is a nine-month training program that provides individuals with the skills and experience needed to begin a career in the food service industry. Students receive 240 hours of intensive hands-on training in a classroom kitchen under the instruction of an experienced chef. Students also receive 360 hours of on-the-job training at a paid internship in a professional working kitchen. CATP is part of the Project Renewal workforce development department that provides job training, job placement, and job retention services.

Overall Responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of this role is to provide job development and placement for CATP graduates. The Employment and Retention Specialist will be responsible for developing internship and employment opportunities for graduates of the Culinary Arts Training Program. They will work with the CATP case managers, training chefs and internship chefs to match individuals with internship sites that align with the student’s strengths, help students find employment opportunities and place them in jobs upon graduation. The Employment and Retention Specialist will work closely with the newly placed employee to help them retain employment. This includes ongoing individual meetings with graduates as well as providing weekly workshops for alumni. The Employment and Retention Specialist will also assist in recruitment efforts throughout the year.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Employment Coordinator, duties include, but are not limited to:

• Prepare graduates for employment and place them into jobs that are relevant to the culinary program
• Identify, develop and maintain a network of employer partners in the culinary industry to develop job opportunities for graduates
• Manage a caseload of job-seeking and employed graduates
• Maintain timely, accurate and detailed case record for each graduate and employer in the Salesforce database system, including job search and follow-up activity
• Meet monthly job placement and retention goals
• Meet with graduates individually to develop a customized job search plan
• Represent Project Renewal at job fairs and other public forums
• Coordinate recruitment and hiring events with employer network
• Track and follow up on job interviews, internships, and job placements
• Verify employment and monitor employer and client relationship
• Obtain job placement and retention milestone documentation that meets standards of contract
• Conduct workforce development workshops for students and graduates
• Facilitate weekly alumni club
• Follow up with employed graduates to ensure that retention milestones are met
• Perform other duties as assigned

Core Competencies

• Interpersonal Communication
• Ability to build and nurture relationship with students, staff and partners
  • Excellent listening, oral and written skills
  • Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently
• Flexibility and Adaptability
  • Ability to work under deadlines and changing priorities
  • Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Cultural Competency and Sensitivity
  • Understanding of the population and their needs
  • Strong understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.
• Administrative
  • Ability to produce clear, accurate and well-organized case notes
  • Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize workload effectively.
• Technology
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
  • Knowledge of virtual platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Classroom, etc.)
  • Knowledge of Salesforce or other CRM system