Employment Services

The Personal Career Strategy (PCS) is a goal setting and service planning document that trainees start discussing during orientation. The Career Coaches will introduce new trainees to the PCS process, and trainees are encouraged to start thinking about long term career goals, and what steps are needed to achieve that goal. The PCS is an essential part of the CET experience—staff use the document regularly in Unit Team and in one-on-one meetings with trainees. Since the PCS goals are set by the trainee, staff members serve as a resource to help the trainee achieve those goals.

Work habits, attitudes, behavior patterns, and communication skills are as important as technical knowledge for success in the workplace. In order to prepare trainees for the demands of the workforce, CET trainees receive instruction in career coaching. The career coaching curriculum teaches the success skills that help trainees achieve their goals in their professional and personal lives. Personal development topics such as self-awareness, personal finance, and interpersonal skills are stressed for their importance to achieving self-sufficiency.

Career coaching also covers the technical aspects of job searching and interviewing skills, mock interviews, on-the-job training, perception in the workplace, and applied writing and verbal skills. Trainees will graduate from CET ready to work and knowledgeable of workplace dynamics and culture.

Externship opportunities are a good way to gain on-the-job experience after completion of the skill competencies, but before obtaining employment. The Skill Instructors and the Career Coaches have developed relationships with employers who will accept CET externs, and interested trainees are selected by the employers according to the quality of work they have demonstrated in their skill. Externship is used to evaluate a trainee’s performance, punctuality, appearance, attendance, and attitude while receiving on-the-job training and to determine if additional employment coaching is needed.

The Medical Assisting field requires a 160 or 200 hour externship to obtain employment as a Medical Assistant, so all MA trainees must complete an externship to successfully complete training. Business and Computer Technologies and Health Technology Administration have externship opportunities available to high-performing trainees interested in gaining additional experience.

CET prepares trainees for employment from the start of training, with technical career search skills, a Personal Career Strategy, and specialized career coaching.

The Career Coach works with trainees and local industry to identify available jobs as trainees move towards completing the final competencies in their skill division. CET actively helps individuals to find training-related employment, and then follows-up on trainees who graduate into a job. Career Coaches also continue to offer placement assistance to past graduates who are looking for new employment. In addition to the program’s career coaching resources, CET prepares trainees to identify employment opportunities and to compete in the job market on their own.