STRIVE Trainer

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1999, CFUF strengthens urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. As a pioneer in responsible fatherhood, family strengthening, and workforce development, CFUF’s programs seek to help clients fully exit poverty and sustain themselves and their families. CFUF serves Baltimore’s most marginalized populations in high-crime and high-poverty communities. Our members (the term we use when referring to our clients) are 98% African American, 60% male, 89% unemployed, 50% ex-offenders and homeless, and 30% without high school diplomas—over 90% face one or multiple temporary or chronic personal, logistical, or human barriers.

All In is the Center for Urban Families’ comprehensive strategy to accelerate social and economic opportunity and advocate for policies that promote equity and racial justice. Leveraging 20 years of positive impact and applied learnings, the All In strategy targets two critical areas: chronic unemployment and family instability. The approach links individual accountability, person-centered case management, and supportive networks with workforce development training, education, and civic engagement. All In dismantles poverty and builds long-term social and economic prosperity that results in brighter futures for our members, their families, and the communities in which they live.

National impact: CFUF’s Practitioners Leadership Institute (PLI) provides technical assistance, promotes, and extends best practices in family strengthening, responsible fatherhood, and workforce development to practitioners and key stakeholders nationwide. CFUF is also nationally renowned for its public policy work in the responsible fatherhood arena.

Culture and Practice

CFUF is committed to high excellence and quality service to its stakeholders. Our culture thrives from a transparent, reflective, and creative environment. We are a highly autonomous workforce, and our staff embraces humor, food, fun, and a passion for serving our members. We believe in recognizing and rewarding high performers. All of these qualities and attributes make a premier employer of choice.

POSITION SUMMARY:

STRIVE, Support Training Results in Valuable Employees, CFUF’s workforce training, is a three (3) week program designed to provide skills, knowledge, and tools needed to succeed in the workplace. The STRIVE curriculum offers the following core topics: workforce skills and retention strategies; computer and workplace literacy basics; resume writing; interviewing strategies; teamwork and interpersonal skills development; and understanding workplace culture.

The STRIVE Trainer is primarily responsible for instituting the STRIVE curriculum to CFUF/STRIVE enrollees; to ensure that enrollees who complete the CFUF/STRIVE career development training have acquired the necessary competencies in professional development, proper organizational behavior, leadership, basic workplace, and computer literacy, resume preparation, interview techniques, team building, and goal setting to meet the standards of the current workforce and labor market needs of employers. STRIVE trainers work collaboratively with case managers and employment specialists to help facilitate successful employment placement.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ability to work with members to remove barriers.
• Conduct monthly soft skills training for classes of 20-45 members, focusing on personal and professional development.
• Present information using various instructional techniques and formats, such as role-playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, and lectures.
• Evaluate participant progress within the training program by making individual client assessments and service recommendations.
• Prepare and maintain accurate and up-to-date client files and case notes in the CFUF database.
• Assist members in developing and implementing their individual employment development plans by utilizing career assessment testing tools.
• Meet high standards of training requirements as set by grants, contracts, MOU stipulations, and STRIVE National.
• Remain up to date on current workplace trends.
• Assess workplace and digital literacy for employment readiness.
• Participate in DHS, SNAP E &T by offering deliverable billable activities to members.
• Record accurate time and effort logs related to DHS, SNAP E & T activities and efforts.
• Make appropriate client referrals to additional services as deemed appropriate.
• Assist employment specialists in identifying employment opportunities for members.
• Ability to evaluate the progress of individuals within the training program and to make individual modifications related to instruction where deemed necessary.
• Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to members' rights.
• Obtain a minimum enrollment and completion rate as specified by the department’s annual performance goals.
• Actively participate in CFUF’s team review meetings to increase program completion and retention rates.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or a minimum of 5-7 years of practical working experience in a training and/or teaching environment.
• Proven experience working directly with diverse populations such as college graduates, formerly incarcerated, at-risk young adults, recovering addicts, individuals experiencing homelessness, public assistance recipients, and the working poor.
• Knowledge of cognitive behavioral theory, social work, and/or Human Services concepts
• Passion for, commitment to, and understanding of CFUF’s values and principles regarding the plight of urban fathers and families.
• High ethical standards and values.
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Comfort working in a highly autonomous environment.
• Must be a self-starter with the desire and ability to initiate and execute without step-by-step guidance from a supervisor.
• Must be resilient and tenacious with a high level of personal integrity and passion for CFUF’s mission to assist members in achieving Family Stability and Economic Success.

CFUF is an equal-opportunity employer.