Job training

The Community Jobs Training Program lowers barriers to employment in Bellingham by providing paid, on-site job training to economically disadvantaged members of our community.

Since launching this program in 2013, we’ve provided training for 1,155 members of our community. The program’s success isn’t possible without donor support. Support this program by making a gift today.

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To learn more about participating in these opportunities, email us today.

Building a confident, employed community

Community Jobs Training provides one-on-one job training opportunities to participants of local job-training programs. Through various partnerships, we’re able to ensure that job-training opportunities are accessible to all. Trainees that participate in Community Jobs Training gain important skills and connections that follow them after their program completion. 

During their 3-month or 6-month program, trainees receive job assessments, help with their resumes, personalized performance evaluation, and safety training. Our extensive curriculum focuses on soft and hard skills; including customer service, retail sales, administrative, marketing & communications, salvage & deconstruction, and woodworking. We work closely with our partners to build custom one-on-one coaching curricula tailored to the interests and skill-sets of each trainee. 

We work with trainees from all walks of life: retirees, single parents re-entering the workforce, youth entering the workforce for the first time, students earning service learning credit, international (ESL) students, adults with disabilities, people recovering from injuries, soldiers transitioning from active duty, people transitioning from incarceration and more. These people are our neighbors, our community members, and our friends. We may help them obtain the skills they need, but it is their character and determination that drives their success.

Job Training opportunities

We provide a wide variety of opportunities for community members to gain the job skills they need to succeed. To learn more about participating in these opportunities, email us today.

Community Based Assessment – Community Based Assessments (CBA) determine an individual’s job interests and abilities within a certain position. CBA’s vary in length from three days to four weeks, allowing community members the opportunity to quickly be assessed on a variety of skills. We currently offer two different CBA opportunities – Administrative Assistant and Retail Associate.

Trainee positions – Trainees are placed with through our various partners, and complete 3-month or 6-month stays. During this time, trainees receive extensive job training, performance assessments, resume assistance, compassionate performance evaluation, and safety training.

Long-term Volunteer – Long-term volunteers play a pivotal role in our organization, allowing community members to engage with us in a deeper way. Long-term volunteers perform a number of tasks and are offered training opportunities to build their skills.

Federal Work-Study – Federal Work-Study is a form of financial aid in which students work part-time jobs during their undergraduate or graduate studies. Work Study allows students the opportunity to become familiar with a certain role or line of work.

Internship – An internship is an opportunity for a students to gain valuable career experience, explore fields of interest, develop professional networks and put theoretic knowledge into practice.

Current positions

Our training opportunities change to meet the needs of the community. We currently train for the following roles.

Administrative Trainee – This position provides a variety of administrative support functions for RE Store staff, such as filing, data entry, answering phones, creating store signage, project research and more. In addition, this position maintains our online store including photography, item research and description, and coordination with staff. Trainees will learn customer service, time management, proper phone etiquette, computer software programs, use of the Google suite of apps, merchandising, and more.

Custodial Trainee – This position maintains a high level of store cleanliness. Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, parking lot maintenance, lawn maintenance, cleaning restrooms and break rooms, and maintaining equipment, are all responsibilities of the Custodial Trainee. This is a self directed position where trainees will learn time management, prioritization, and equipment care.

Salvage Trainee – This position works directly with the Salvage Services team during material pick ups and deconstruction of buildings in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. This position will teach skills relating to deconstruction, material identification, proper lifting and unloading techniques, power tool use, safe working habits, forklift driving, time management, customer service, and more.

Retail Trainee – The Retail Trainee provides a variety of retail and customer service functions for RE Store staff. This includes receiving material donations, processing donations, organization, and merchandising. Trainees learn skills related to customer service, merchandising, pricing and retail, safe working habits, forklift certification and more.

Design Build Trainee – The Design Build Trainees work in the Revision Division. Training includes basic wood working, shop safety, material identification, and furniture repair. This position equips trainees with valuable design and production skills to prepare for careers in the manufacturing sector.

To learn more about participating in these opportunities, email us today.

Revision Division Design Build Training Program

Our newest initiative, called the Revision Division Design Build Training Program, will help trainees develop valuable design and production skills to prepare for careers in the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing industry is the fastest growing industry in Whatcom County – with 40% growth in the past 10 years, this industry supports more than 300 manufacturers and 9,000 manufacturing jobs. Our new Design Build Training Program Manager will be developing an experiential curriculum that will equip trainees with valuable trade skills such as product design, material sourcing, tool safety and use, forklift certification and product sales. Trainees will work directly with our experienced Revision Division craftspeople to design and build home furnishings from reclaimed materials and manufacturing by-products. By repurposing these items, Design Build trainees will help divert usable material from the landfill while also providing our customers with value-added products available for sale in our online and brick and mortar stores.

The Design-Build Training Program, which is an expansion of our Community Jobs Training Program, is supported in part through a 3-year grant awarded by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, WA.

Partners

Give a gift, build hope

Our job training program has proven results. With their newly acquired skills and confidence, nearly all of our graduated trainees find full time, stable employment. Community Jobs Training is primary funded by generous donors like you. With your help, we can provide valuable job training experiences to even more community members. Please consider giving a monetary gift today.

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Volunteer, internship & job training opportunities

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