Employment Training Specialist 25/26 SY

WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you’ll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You’ll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key—you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What’s Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A Career in IPS Offers…

Purpose and Impact:

• Essential Contributions: In every non-teaching and non-leadership role, your work directly supports the success of IPS students and schools. Whether you’re maintaining facilities, providing student services, or managing administrative operations, you play a key part in ensuring an equitable and high-quality educational environment.
• Belonging and Community: IPS is a place where every employee is valued. You’ll join a supportive community that promotes respect, teamwork, and a shared commitment to serving students and families.

Professional and Personal Growth:

• Training and Development Opportunities: IPS offers a variety of training programs to help staff build new skills and grow professionally. This includes access to development opportunities for administrative, technical, and operational roles, as well as pathways to becoming a certified teacher.
• Skill Enhancement: Whether you’re new to your role or seeking to deepen your expertise, IPS provides resources and support for continuous improvement.

Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits:

• Fair Compensation: IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
• Extensive Benefits Package: Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

• Generous Leave Policies: IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve-month employees benefit from floating holidays, and unused personal leave rolls into the sick leave balance.
• Wellness Programs: IPS prioritizes staff well-being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.

What We Expect:

• Professionalism and Reliability: Every role at IPS is vital to the district’s success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
• Collaboration and Communication: IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
• Flexibility and Problem-Solving: As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever-changing needs of students and schools.

JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What’s Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:

The Employment Training Specialist (ETS)/Job Coach is responsible for the overall provision and management of employment training for secondary students with IEPs who will graduate high school with a Certificate of Completion. The ETS provides direct instruction to students, support to TORs and IAs; networks with local businesses; and collaborates with other team members to create a successful transition to employment that is individualized to graduates’ support needs. This is a 10-month, classified position.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

The Employment Training Specialist (ETS)/Job Coach focuses upon preparing students for employment via providing a variety of service learning and internships in community businesses for high school students who are working toward a Certificate of Completion in the Life Skills and ARCHES Programs. The ETS spends much of their time in the community developing internships and paid employment opportunities for students and providing students with instruction and support. Student support includes directly coaching instructional assistants who accompany and coach students on-the-job; providing direct coaching/instruction on the job as well as in safe navigation and travel to and from the internship. The ETS is the primary liaison and contact person among the community businesses, student, and school staff. Much of the remainder of the ETS’ time is used for monitoring and recording student progress and performance on all aspects of their internships and assisting students to apply for post-high school and adult services.

“Day In the Life” Overview

On a regular day, as ETS you might:

• Aligns students’ employment training experiences to result in successful preparation for post-secondary program options, paid employment, and greater independence in community life.
• Develops in-school and community internship opportunities for high school students that offer varied types of work for the purpose of assessing students’ interests, aptitudes, and skill acquisition.
• Oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of in-school and community internships
• Acts as the liaison between the school employment program and community businesses who host internships.
• Serves as the primary contact among local businesses, students, special education programs, and transportation re: student internships
• Coordinates student work and transportation schedules/training.
• Provides direct instruction and support to students to utilize public transportation and complete required tasks onsite at their internships.
• Establishes a Job Analysis for each internship that is the basis for the data collection of student interns’ progress
• Analyzes student progress data into required reporting formats and utilizes the data for assessment of student interests and assets for employment purposes/outcomes.
• Trains school staff how to perform job tasks and appropriately support individual students onsite.
• Coaches IA’s on proper methods and timing of fading prompts to build student independences
• Sustains a unified system for data collection and individual student employment-related records
• Establishes, updates, and maintain individual students’ Vocational History throughout the high school years
• Collaborates with each student and their team to develop a long-term plan toward transition.
• Updates program reports reflecting students’ status as outlined in the ETS Procedures Manual according to the established schedule.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS:

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:

• Growth Mindset - Continuously seeks to improve individual work, demonstrating candor and ability identify weaknesses. Finds lessons in failures and successes of others. Proactively seeks and acts on feedback.
• Effective Influencer - Inspires others to work towards common goals to meet the needs of urban school students, despite obstacles. Advocates the importance of the district’s role in serving schools and communicates with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong Collaboration & Cross-Functional Skills - Builds rapport and cooperative relationships with others. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with relevant stakeholders. Places high priority on team and organizational goals.
• Confidentiality - Makes effective decisions regarding sensitive and confidential information. Respects the privacy of others and maintains the confidentiality of information to which exposed.
• Communication Skills - Possesses effective verbal and written communication and should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences.
• Strategic Thinking - Identifies challenges and guides team toward solutions. Creates space for productive debate and alternative perspectives. Encourages innovation and creativity from team. Identifies risks and ways to mitigate.
• Project Management - Supports staff and schools in managing projects from end to end, identifying and monitoring project milestones and holding team accountable for achieving results.

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Upon being hired, IPS ETS is required to successfully complete the Employment Specialist Training offered by the Center on Community Living and Careers [CCLC] of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community [IIDC] at IU. This training introduces new employment specialists to the field of community employment services. Estimated training completion time is 40 hours with online assignments required in order to successfully complete the training and receive a competency-based certificate from Indiana University.
• https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cclc/training-and-events/employment-consultant-training.html
• Staff must submit Driver Record check. You can obtain it for free from: www.mybmv.com ETS should be able to support students' transit needs as needed utilizing the Mini Bus. Training is provided by IPS.
• Associates degree and 3 years’ experience working with individual with disabilities, preferably high school age students or adults.
• Working knowledge of the City of Indianapolis.
• Working knowledge of navigating the IndyGo bus system.
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of individuals;
• Strong communication skills;
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment;
• Strong organizational, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively;
• Ability to execute meetings, calls and emails with professionalism, courtesy and accuracy;
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence; and
• Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK:

Not eligible

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk distances inside and outside in all types of weather. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be mobile outside of the school building in the community of Indianapolis, be able to move around the city and ride the IndyGo buses.

EEOC STATEMENT:

Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, homelessness or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Indianapolis Public Schools does not tolerate any form of retaliation or bias-based intimidation, threat, or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

DISCLAIMER:

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This job description is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive list of all essential functions and duties performed by the occupant of this position. Factors such as regular and punctual attendance are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function.