VESL (Vocational English as a Second Language) Instructor

Job Overview: The IRC in Salt Lake City is dedicated to empowering newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals to achieve self-sufficiency through securing entry-level employment, advancing towards living wage positions, acquiring basic financial management skills, building assets, and initiating small businesses. IRC SLC is home to the Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) program, which is designed to offer group-based English language instruction to adult refugees at varying levels of proficiency. The VESL Instructor plays a crucial role in this endeavor, tasked with delivering engaging instruction, developing, and refining a curriculum that effectively facilitates the acquisition of English language skills conducive to employability. Collaborating closely with the Education Programs Supervisor, IRC Technical Advisors, and other staff members, the VESL Instructor is instrumental in ensuring that clients meet their personal and professional objectives.

Responsibilities: Include, but are not limited to:

• Teaches the Vocational English as a Second Language class for new arrivals to the IRC SLC office utilizing existing curricula
• Promotes core competencies of English language skills needed to obtain and retain employment and achieve self-sufficiency
• Assesses students in order to evaluate their progress; tracks and reports student attendance as advised;
• Develops lesson plans and materials as needed
• Follows established policies and procedures in gathering and recording classroom attendance, and other data required by grant funders;
• Coordinates with the Workforce Development Supervisor, Employment Specialists, and other relevant staff through regular communication, participation in team meetings, and other activities as requested;
• Participates in Workforce, VESL, and Education meetings, and staff development activities, as possible;
• Stays current on standard methodologies, pedagogical approaches, and strategies to engage adult ESL learners;
• Follows all policies, procedures and protocols of the agency;
• Other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

TESOL or TEFOL certification required

Undergraduate degree in a related field strongly required; Master’s degree preferred;

Experience teaching ESL required; 2+ years ESL teaching experience preferred;

Familiarity with planning and delivering lessons that obtain specific measurement goals for learners using supporting curriculum.

• · Patient, flexible, and reliable
• Able to communicate effectively and clearly in English, knowledge of any of the following languages is a plus: Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, Dari/Farsi/Pashto, Spanish, Arabic
• On-line instruction/learning experience preferred;

Maintain accurate and timely data records of student enrollment and participation;

Driver’s license and insured car required;

Experience working with immigrant populations and adults strongly preferred;

Experience with workforce and job training programs preferred;

Ability to take initiative and work independently to resolve challenges;

Proven cultural competency and sensitivity to working with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds;

Ability to bring creativity to the classroom to teach to audiences with varied levels of English;

Flexible, adaptable, and willing to work in a team environment;

Strong written and oral English language skills.

Working Environment:  

• A combination of the standard office environment and remote work
• Requires occasional weekend or evening work