Job Readiness Training
Overview
“Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success,” is a curriculum developed by ODEP focused on teaching “soft” or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities. Created for development professionals as an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills, the curriculum is targeted for in-school and out-of-school environments.
The basic structure of the program is comprised of modular, hands-on, engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.
Curriculum
- Soft Skill #1: Communication: The activities in this section will not only help participants practice and recognize how they provide information to others, but also help them consider how others may prefer to receive information.
- Soft Skill #2: Enthusiasm & Attitude: The activities in this section seek to teach participants about the importance of enthusiasm and a positive attitude in the workplace.
- Soft Skill #3: Teamwork: The activities in this section seek to teach participants about the importance of teamwork to workplace success and the specific role each individual on a team may play.
- Soft Skill #4: Networking: The activities in this section focus on the process of networking and its relevance and importance to career development.
- Soft Skill #5: Problem Solving & Critical Thinking: The activities in this section focus on learning how to solve problems in a variety of ways in the workplace.
- Soft Skill #6: Professionalism: The activities in this section focus on each of the five individual soft skills presented in this publication (communication, enthusiasm/attitude, teamwork, networking, and problem solving/critical thinking), but in a broader framework.
