HOPWA Getting to Work

Initiative

Job Readiness Training

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

7

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

8

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

10

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

13

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

15

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

22

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)

25

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

37

Questions or Comments?

Nick Codd, Senior Economic Opportunities Specialist

nick.codd@buildingchanges.org

(206) 805-6133