Online Course: Introduction to Workforce Preparation Activities and Employability Skills

Submitted by Jessie Stadd on Tue, 06/20/2017 - 10:58
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This thread is connected to the online course, Introduction to Workforce Preparation Activities and Employability Skills, freely available anytime, anywhere in the LINCS Learning Portal.

  • Were there skills which were not explicitly included in the workplace preparation activities discussed? Note that there is no “right” answer here. Consider the alignments and intersections between the different skill sets.
  • Many teachers are probably already integrating some or all of the skills and competencies of workforce preparation activities into classroom instruction. Reflect on your own experiences and the resources you have used to plan your curriculum. Have you used any of the resources presented in this course? Are there others you have used? Which ones seem to be the most effective? How do you know? 

Comments

There was really some great information in this unit. As I read this unit I thought about this current generation and how they have all this information and knowledge readily available and  then how older individuals didn’t always have information right at their fingertips. This unit made me think about the workforce and how growing up my parents works so hard and now you have the current generation and it’s hard to get them to work. It seems the older generations were more prepared for the workforce in a sense but they didn’t have all the technology that’s available now, but the generation now has all the technology available in the world but not as strong of a workforce or work ethic. 

  • This session shared how to integrate skills within the workforce. While teaching, I utilized many of the skills discussed and found them to be very helpful with my students. Teaching students how to utilize resources properly is so important and certainly an assist with the stresses not only in school, but also in the real world setting. I believe it is important to build critical thinking skills within all grade levels, including adult education. The most effective one for me is time management and decision making skills. Time management and decision making seem to be a foundation for many other skills. 

The skills reviewed in the workplace prep activities are greatly needed in our workforce. I believe to develop problem-solving skills, participants must encounter hands-on activities with proper leadership. Additionally, it is important to realize that you may solve a problem in many different ways and to stress the importance of accepting other people ideas. 

Teresa thanks for the comments related to the course and I suggest checking out Teaching Skills that Matter for lesson ideas to build problem-solving skills. We are also doing a webinar in November around TSTM that you would probably find helpful. Watch the LINCS event list for date and time. 

The workforce presentation skills are exactly what we need to stress to our youth. I believe it is mandatory for all to understand the importance of these skills, especially critical thinking, working with others and utilizing resources. 

I felt like this first section of the course really broke things down well. I've worked in Literacy and Career Pathways for several years now, so this was review, but I really liked how it was organized. Well done and comprehensive, even with a short amount of information.

I am glad you took the time to review and refresh and found it helpful. Don't forget to check out some of our other conversations in the group and join in on some of our live events. We always enjoy hearing from the field!

I didn't realize the scope of skills needed to satisfy all that is involved in workforce preparation and employability skills.  I usually work with one or two students in a small center.  Group work is usually not a possibility, so I am looking for explicit ideas and resources to use with single students.

I believe the course is great. It really does give lots of information and resources, unfortunately it's missing lots of content. Which makes it difficult to answer the activities. Even some of the videos were not available for me.

Though I have Adult Education and Workforce Development experience, I've been out of the loop for a couple of years transitioning to a new state and new job. This course was very helpful bringing workforce preparation strategies back to mind and triggering my brain to get back in business. Also, it was a good exercise looking at this material in a different role. Previously, I was working in the field as a coordinator and director, interacting directly with students and teachers. This has given me the opportunity to reflect and consider how I will use these resources and tap into this information as a state liaison supporting those folks around the state.

Thank you for sharing these resources! I can't wait to help my students succeed. I've been an instructor for most of my career, but the past couple of years have been a bit isolating (working remotely). It was very helpful to review all of the information as I prepare to teach in-person again. 

I really enjoyed reading through the Employability Resources Framework Resources pages. I can use these resources to help prepare my students for the job interview process. Additionally, reading through all of the College and Career Readiness Standards was a great refresher! The questionnaire reports are very helpful!

The TIF document was very helpful! I can now see how to apply the listed skills to classroom activities. 

This course is very informative. My program is currently working on workforce development for our students.

Learning more about how to prepare students for the workforce is imperative to our program. We have had an influx of students and we are always to trying to find ways to better prepare them.

This course broke down the WIOA skills and competencies needed for general preparation for the 21st Century workforce.  It took me about an hour to get through and I feel confident that I am familiar with the WIOA teaching guidelines now after this session.

This is "Take 3" the course is still not showing that I've completed this activity, so I am trying with a new subject line. This has been the most difficult of all of the LINCS courses I've taken in that the technology and directions given are not intuitive and have been very difficult to follow in order to receive the certificate. The links that show uncompleted work keep taking me back to the same location and I've clicked on everything clickable! This is very frustrating and I am wishing that the evaluation had come after the notification of all of these missing connections so that I could have properly evaluated the course!

This a lot of information to take in.  It's interesting.  I remember some of the information I read. Thank you!!

 

Setting goals (long term and short term), as well as developing an action plan by which to achieve those goals is a skill which should be explicitly taught, especially when the goals include measurable performance indicators.  This is not a skill that comes easily, but with example, practice, and guidance.

A specific skill not mentioned was writing emails as a part of digital literacy and understanding systems.  From the physical crafting and composing of a message, to the appropriateness of language and communications etiquette, to the understanding of workplace channels (who should be included, who does not need to be), using email is a critical skill in the workplace.

I found the resources in this course so valuable!  Much of my teaching experience has been in academic-focused environments.  Although some of my learners were becoming workforce ready, the goals of most of my learners were academic goals.  Because of this, I feel like I have learned a lot more about ABE than I knew before.

This introductory course was very interesting.  I will certainly start trying to incorporate some of its objectives and material in my GED classes.   I do see a strange incompatibility between these goals and the GED test materials, however, because language arts texts are very removed from workplace realities.  They often come from centuries old texts or government documents.  I'm not arguing that students don't need to be exposed to academic, dense texts.  I just find this dichotomy hard to resolve.

Having somewhat recently wrapped up two years steeped in TSTM - Teaching Skills That Matter - I couldn't help but view this training through that lens, and what a complementary relationship the two have!  Thanks to that training, I could say "yes" to having incorporated most all of the skills and competencies found here. 

What seems to be most effective are lessons that get my students talking and producing products they are proud of - whether that's a poster, a video, a joke, a dialog, or a job application. 

Hi! I found the WIOA workforce preparation activities very comprehensive. However, I just recently attended Virginia Tech's Economic Empowerment training for adult educators and found that personal finance such as budgeting, reducing expenses, increasing income, and decision-making tools to be very beneficial to adult education learners who may frequently be low-income, underskilled, or feel "strapped" by their current life situation. These activities may be closely aligned with "skills necessary for successful transition" or "self-management," but I just wanted to add that personal finance, knowing how to budget, practicing decision-making skills, and even knowing the beginnings of entrepreneurial skills to develop a side hustle for extra income can be very meaningful, beneficial, and empowering to adult learners. 

I taught GED for 7 years before switching to only ESL. The guidance in this module for helping adult students better manage their own priorities, make goals, and develop the discipline necessary to follow through on reaching their goals was very helpful. There were also good tips for facilitating group work & getting students to interact with others to reach a solution to a problem or a method for doing something. 

I agree that all Adult Education and literacy program should provide instruction that increases learners academic skills and prepare them for successful transitions to post-secondary education, training and employment or advancement in the workplace.

I have integrated learn, reason , communicate and problem solving and job readiness activities within my curriculum. I feel that WIOA helps to build a well round curriculum.

I felt the Workforce "Introduction to Workforce Preparation and Employability Skills" touched on very important elements for all potential participants. It might be somewhat of a review approach for more tenured students in some areas and totally new to their thinking in others. I was especially impressed with the interwoven nature of the approach. One area not addressed was ways to positively impact students and inspire them toward retention via positive feedback. It would be helpful to know creative measure teachers are taking in this area to add to my knowledge bank of ideas.