Support Vocational College Educators to Improve their English Skills

Job Description
The regional vocational education and training center provides educational and methodical support to state-owned colleges through educational services, including professional training, general education, social work, and career guidance. For each service, methodologists are assigned to collaborate with different establishments according to the branch principle or the end-to-end direction of work at the colleges. The vocational colleagues are interested in strengthening the English proficiency for their staff to prepare teachers and students for international collaboration and intercultural awareness.

The vocational education and training center requests a Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) to work with a group of 20 intermediate English learners (methodologists, teachers, and managers). The VSPP will engage participants in English-speaking club that aim to enhance their command of the English language, confidence in using English for professional needs, improve communication skills of participants, and develop their intercultural competencies.

The organization has not previously collaborated with the Peace Corps. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a Peace Corps Volunteer or Peace Corps Response Volunteer.

Desired Qualifications
Education: Master's degree in education, secondary education, or related field and/or relevant certification: TEFL, TESOL, Cambridge, or similar

Experience: Virtual engagement and communication

Required Skills
Education: Bachelor's degree in any field

Experience: 1 year in TEFL/English teaching to adults

Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually

Host Country Partner's Mission and Goals
Volyn Regional Vocational Education and Training Center pursues the following mission: creating an integrated methodological space for regional educators, promoting professional growth of teachers at vocational schools, and introducing a competency-based approach to meet the professional needs and interests of Vocational Education and Training (VET) school educators in alignment with modern requirements and standards. The main goal of Volyn regional VET center is to provide educational, scientific, and methodical support for VET school activities in respective regions.

This engagement aims to systemically enhance the teaching and learning of English at Volyn VET colleges in accordance with the needs of the learners and the demands of both the labor market and society. The virtual engagement also offers the long-term potential to expand the use of the English language, Ukraine's competitiveness, the country's investments, and tourist attractiveness.

Virtual Service Engagement and Tasks
The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their host country partners:

• Collaborate with the counterpart to establish practices for session planning and facilitation

• Co-develop a syllabus for an English-speaking club with clear policy, procedures, resources, and outcomes

• Co-facilitate a 75-minute English-speaking club each week

• Incorporate cultural topics and intercultural exchange activities into the English club lessons

VSPP is expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5-15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be 5 hours per week.

Online collaboration will generally occur between 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Ukraine time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.

The Host Country Counterpart will have access to email, Zoom and phone for regular communication and collaboration.

Per the Child Protection Code of Conduct, when engaging online with minors (0-18), two adults must be present.

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