Training and Engagement Specialist
Summary:
Under the general direction of the Dean of Labor, the Training and Engagement Specialist (TES) has the primary responsibility for maintaining community partnerships, job descriptions for labor positions, job postings, engagement, and orienting new college employees to the Labor Program. The Training and Engagement Specialist will also serve as a liaison with HR and Career Development to create and sustain positive employee relations. The TES will serve as the primary supervisor for Student Directors. The TES will also assist in supporting mediation, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution services. The Training and Engagement Specialist will work within a highly collaborative team.
Minimum Qualifications Required:
Education required to ensure success in this position:
- Bachelor’s degree with three to five years of experience
Experience required to ensure success in this position:
- Experience in supporting, educating, training, and working with diverse audiences.
- Experience & background as a productive member of project teams and/or committees in higher education or related field.
Special skills, knowledge, and abilities:
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
- Ability to multi-task, including being able to manage multiple projects with different scopes and timelines
- Experience with administrative, timekeeping, and/or job placement systems desired, especially the Banner system
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Selecting and using mediation methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when dealing with workplace conflicts.
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate to meet the needs of the Labor Program.
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Project management experience in the successful delivery of administrative support/service; computer expertise in various office-based programs including but not limited to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
License, certification, or registration necessary:
Physical requirements:
- Must have excellent visual acuity to read computer screen data;
- Must be physically able to sit for extended periods of time;
- Must be able to withstand the pressures of meeting strict deadlines;
- Must be capable of maintaining positive relationships with a diverse student, faculty, and staff workforce.
Environmental conditions:
Ability to operate the following vehicles or equipment:
- Standard office equipment
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Oversee and manage campus-wide student job descriptions maintenance, leading monthly and annual reviews
- Responsible for campus job postings through the designated system for campus positions (Handshake).
- Responsible for collaborating with supervisors for the creation of new labor positions.
- Coordinate off-campus partnerships working with the leadership team.
- Maintains relationships with community-based programs and agencies in the region to support the development of off-campus employment opportunities.
- Co-facilitate with the Associate Director of Training and Engagement to deliver workforce development training to supervisors and students.
- Collaborate with supervisors to identify training needs and tailor programs accordingly.
- Create engaging training materials, including presentations, handouts, and online resources.
- Responsible for working with Student Directors and work divisions, providing guidance, support, and leadership.
- Assist the Associate Dean of Labor in addressing employee relations issues, such as work complaints or other student employee concerns, as needed.
- Assist the Associate Director of Training and Engagement with analyzing student employment-related data and preparing required reports.
- Develop and present informational briefings to Labor Departments to improve labor relations.
- Responsible for coordinating and working with team members to conduct a labor program orientation for new college employees.
- Collaborate with various campus departments to identify and implement cross-functional training initiatives.
- Organize and facilitate team-building activities, workshops, and events to promote student engagement.
- Oversee resume requirement process for students in collaboration with Career Development.
- Coordinate with Human Resources and other departments (Office of Internships and Career Development) to create and sustain positive employee relations and facilitate effective communications between student employees and labor supervisors.
- In support of Berea College’s great commitments, this position requires student supervision. The fourth great commitment is to promote learning and serving in community through the student labor program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done. The Supervision would include scheduling, assigning, and approving work performed. Developing students about common workplace acumen and giving them tangible work experience is an expected outcome. To learn more about the student labor program and requirements for this position, see: Labor Program Goals
Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist the College in the attainment of the goals set forth and the enhancement of a positive, respectful learning environment for all staff, faculty, and students.
Founded in 1855, Berea College achieved national distinction as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls 1,600 students from 43 states and U.S. territories and more than 70 countries. Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them a no-tuition promise, valued at more than $178,000. Berea’s students excel in the College’s supportive yet demanding academic environment, and many are the first in their families to attend college. As one of only nine federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students are expected to work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus. Berea College was again named one of the nation’s “Best Institutions for Undergraduates to Earn their College Degree” in the 2022 edition of The Princeton Review’s book, The Best 387 Colleges. Berea also appeared on four other lists within the publication: Best Colleges in the Southeast; Best Value Colleges; Best Green Colleges; and Tuition Free Schools. Berea College is ranked #148 by The Princeton Review – the highest-ranked Kentucky college, and the #3 “Best Value College” in the nation. Berea is one of only two private institutions ranked in the Top 10 for Value in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (THE) 2022 College Rankings. The Washington Monthly ranks Berea College #13 among the nation’s liberal arts colleges, recognizing Berea for maintaining “consistently high rankings thanks to their economic diversity, relatively strong graduation rates, and commitment to meeting students’ financial need.” U.S. News and World Report Rankings lists Berea as #30 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, including ranking Berea #1 in Service Learning, #2 for Most Innovative Schools, #3 in Co-ops/Internships, #4 in First-year Experiences, and tied for #13 in Best Undergraduate Teaching.
Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at www.berea.edu.
Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.
Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application!
Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.