Post on 15-Aug-2020
transcript
HOPWA Getting to Work
Initiative
Job Readiness Training
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Initiative Goals
Build the capacity of HOPWA funded project sponsors and
grantees to increase access to vocational services and
employment opportunities for HOPWA program participants
Develop organizational structure to deliver employment
services either through partnerships or direct services
Advance staff knowledge and skills to incorporate
vocational services, career development and benefit
planning into the services offered to HOPWA program
participants
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Webinar Goals
•Understanding of what it means to be job ready
•Understanding of 3 strategies that can be used in job
readiness training for clients
•Understanding of how to do some of this work
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Vocational Services Process
Vocational Assessmen
t
Vocational Assessmen
t
Vocational/ Career Plan Vocational/ Career Plan
Job Readiness Assistance/
Training
Job Readiness Assistance/
Training
Job Search/Job
Seeking Services
Job Search/Job
Seeking Services
Job Placement/ Employer
Engagement
Job Placement/ Employer
Engagement
Job Coaching/ Retention
Job Coaching/ Retention
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Job Readiness is Important/
•Common reason given as to why people are not getting
jobs
•Clients want and need jobs; need to be ready
•Don’t want clients to fail
•Benefits of “readiness” goes beyond employment
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POLL: Which is the most challenging work readiness
factor for your clients?
Lack of work experience and skills
Problematic drug and alcohol use
Clients with multiple challenges/disabilities
Lack of self awareness/inaccurate self assessment
regarding workplace behaviors
All of the above
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Goal of Job Readiness Services
•Increase an individual’s employability and competiveness
for available and desired jobs
•Ensure that the individual is ready to meet the on going
demands and expectations of employment
•Provide employers with job ready candidates that will be
an asset to their company
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The
Readiness
Spectrum
hesitant to discuss work
anxious and ambivalent
lacking skills and experience
struggling with stability
motivated
seeking solutions to barriers
job seeking
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There Are No Guarantees
You can never be completely sure that someone is job
ready
Access to support, coaching and assistance once
employed is often key
Individuals who are highly motivated to work are typically
the most likely to successfully adapt to the demands of
work
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Job Ready?
Paradigm shift: move away from categorizing people as
“not ready” and start talking about what it means to be
ready and how your services can increase employability
and readiness
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Increasing Employability
Identify the strengths and skills that increase employability
Employers hire based on strengths - not deficits
Start with what you already know:
• Participation in case management services and follow
through on agreed upon plans
• Level of stability in key areas (housing, childcare,
healthcare, public assistance and legal matters)
• General observation of client in different settings
• Non employment assessments and information
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Connecting the Steps
Use Vocational Assessment to identify barriers and
obstacles to job readiness and identify needed conditions
for successful employment
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Connecting the Steps
Vocational Plan tells us how we plan to address needed
job readiness skills
soft skills
• includes plans for increasing work experience, job training, education
job search skills
hard skills
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3 Strategies to Improve Job Readiness
Effective job readiness services combine three
strategies:
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Case Management
Case Management
Education & Training/Work Experience
Education & Training/Work Experience
Job Readiness Classes/ Instruction
Job Readiness Classes/ Instruction
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Hard & Soft Skills – Two Pieces of the
“Readiness Pie”
Individuals who are job ready demonstrate a sufficient
combination of hard and soft skills which allows them to
obtain and perform a job
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Hard Skills
Specific teachable abilities that may be involved in task
completion; may require acquired subject knowledge or
physical ability & capacity; ability to follow a procedure or
perform identified duties
EXAMPLES: word processing, driving a vehicle,
mathematical ability, operating a cash register
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Soft Skills
Broad range of personal attributes and interpersonal
abilities, harder to teach
EXAMPLES: ability to plan, anticipate, organize and
communicate; reliability, cooperation, giving and receiving
feedback; respect for others; self awareness; social skills,
good attendance; follows work place rules and procedures;
gets along with co-workers /
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Case Management Strategy
Many job readiness issues identified in assessment are
complex and often require case management efforts
(beyond job readiness class)
Case management is essential to sustain job readiness
skills over time, develop new skills as new situations arise
and to assist with job retention and ongoing career
development and advancement
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Case Management Assists With:
•Personal management skills (money management; time
management; self care)
•Arranging transportation or childcare
•Healthcare concerns
•Provide or monitor treatment participation (mental health,
drug, alcohol)
•Benefits (access, coordination and planning)
•Legal issues and convictions
•Treatment and service planning
•Referrals
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Education & Training
Work Experience Programs
•Community College and Vocational Technical Education
options
Provide a route to higher paying occupations and
self sufficiency
•Work Experience Programs
Supportive environment to develop hard skills as
well as practice soft skills
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Educational Attainment
Washington State data:
•67% of all jobs paying self sustaining wages will require
some postsecondary training beyond high school by 2018
•Associates degree pay 20% more than HS degree;
70% more no HS degree
•Look for Navigators, Outreach and Disability workers for
assistance at college campuses
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Job Training – Sample Environments
•Subsidized work experience programs
•Social enterprise work experiences
•Internships
•Volunteer positions
•In-house work experiences
•Goodwill job training programs
•Transitional jobs programs
•Other?
•Being in the trenches motivates clients to make needed
changes and learn new skills
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Opportunity to Build Soft Skills
•Attendance/punctuality
•Dress, grooming, appearance
•Communication skills (phone, email, in person)
•Ability to learn and follow procedures (e.g. sign in/sign out,
call in when sick)
•Ability to receive feedback from a supervisor
•Demonstrate a positive attitude at work
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The Right Environment
•Good supervision
•Model effective communication skills
•Respectful treatment
•Meaningful feedback
•Realistic consequences
•Communication and coordination with job readiness
training instructor/case manager
•Opportunities to acquire specific job skills (hard skills)
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Job Readiness Classes
There are many formats and curriculums used
for Job Readiness classes with most focusing on:
•Developing soft skills needed for employment
•Developing job search skills
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Sample Job Readiness Curriculum
•Orientation and Goal Setting
•Communication Skills
•Work Place Expectations
•Interview Techniques
•Effective Resume
•Dress for Success
•Employment Applications
•Job Search
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G.E.A.R. Program Growth, Empowerment, Advancement and Recognition
Job Readiness and Retention Training Program
Four-week course that meets every Tuesday of the month
from 9:00am-12:30pm.
Participants MUST ATTEND ALL FOUR CLASSES.
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Week one:
Setting Goals
Creating an email address
Identifying careers
Developing resumes and
cover letters
Week two:
Exploring the job market
Completing sample job
applications
Submitting applications
Visit to the library
Week Three:
Interview Preparation
Interviewer Questions
Mock Interviews
Interview Outcomes
Week four:
Job Retention and
Advancement
Maintaining Employment
Conflict resolution
Overcoming retention barriers
Certificate of Completion
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How the trainings fits with other employment
services and activities; G.E.A.R.
•Prepares the clients for employment services
•Enhances the personal attitudes, social behavior and
work-related skills of consumers as they enter a job
•Allows the client to leave with a resume and volunteer
experience.
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High Quality Classes
Use client assessments to inform class content
Clients set individual goals for class
• Establish expectations for participation
• Invite participation in multiple formats
• Connect classroom activities to actual work and
educational settings
• Plan for maintaining new skills after class has ended
(transfer of learning)
• Connect classes to case management support
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Teaching Soft Skills
•Don’t assume that the concept of soft skills is understood
by all
•Sequential skill teaching may work best
•Encourage efforts to demonstrate soft skills in all classes
•Explore opportunities to immediately apply newly learned
soft skills
•Provide opportunities for participants to track progress on
developing and using soft skills
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More On Teaching
•Encourage students to present real life examples in class
•Use role playing to practice and improve skills
•Different jobs require a different mix of soft skills
•Need to address soft skills based on the requirements of a
specific job and match soft skill requirements with client
abilities
•Developing soft skills typically takes time, practice and self
awareness
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Job Search Class Components
•Job Interview techniques (opportunities to practice; receive
feedback)
•Resume writing (formats for limited work history)
•Dress for success (interview and work place)
•Employment Applications (online/paper format)
•Applying online (resume, cover letter or applications)
•Communication plan with prospective employers (phone,
voice mail, email)
•Job leads/job boards (where to look for jobs)
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Strategies for Strong Class
Involve employers/business community:
• Input into course design and content
• Speak directly to participants about work place
expectations as well as opportunities
• Review practice job applications and resumes
• Assist with practice interviews
• Involve staff focused on job placement
• Start relationship early
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Job Readiness Services – Review
•Increase an individual’s employability and competiveness
for available and desired jobs
•Ensure that the individual is ready to meet the on going
demands and expectations of employment
•Provide employers with job ready candidates that will be
an asset to their company
Q & A and Conclusion
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Questions or Comments?
Nick Codd, Senior Economic Opportunities Specialist
nick.codd@buildingchanges.org
(206) 805-6133