Workplace Readiness Training
This section includes information about workplace readiness training to develop social and independent living skills.
Workplace Readiness Training
Workplace readiness traits describe a number of commonly expected, skills that employers seek from most employees. Work readiness skills are a set of skills and behaviors that are necessary for any job. Work readiness skills are sometimes called soft skills, employability skills, or job readiness skills.
These abilities help employees learn how to interact with supervisors and co-workers. They help reinforce the importance of timeliness and build an understanding of how we are perceived by others. Employers value employees who can communicate effectively and act professionally. No matter what technical skills a job may require, every job requires good social skills/interpersonal skills.
Source: Federal Partners in Transition: What to Know About Youth Transition Services for Students with Disabilities.
Resources for this Required Activity
Curriculum Options
A collection of activities to help youth with disabilities practice essential work skills.
- Explore-Work.com A series of web-based modules specific to the five required WIOA Pre-Employment Transition Services activities for use with students with disabilities.
- T-Folio A free transition portfolio tool for high school age students with disabilities that includes work-based learning experiences is one of the units. Also includes lessons on informational interviews and job shadowing.
- Pathways to the Future - The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services Pathways to the Future grant project has developed a Sample Lessons to Life After High School manual to facilitate purposeful implementation of secondary transition requirements as prompted by recent legislation and subsequent regulations of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and amendments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It serves as a first step to formalizing guidance for West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services and Education professionals charged with youth transition, specifically the five required Pre-Employment Transition Services.
- TransitionTN Curriculum Database - A searchable database of curriculum that includes options for providing the five required pre-employment transition services. You can search by category, payment type (Free to subscription) and accessibility for hearing and vision impairments.
- GCFLearnFree.org offers more than 200 topics, including more than 7,000 lessons, more than 1,000 videos, and more than 50 interactive links and games, completely free. We advise that you thoroughly review these to see what activities you would approve your vendors using.
- AFB Transition To Work Program Activity Guide
The Transition to Work: Program Activity Guide was created for Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Providers, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies, and Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI's) working to improve employment outcomes for teens and young adults who are blind or visually impaired. This program activity guide has 19 lessons meant to address WIOA requirements. The activities included in this guide are for service providers to utilize to provide instruction and services to youth who are blind or visually impaired in three of the five required areas: job exploration, work-based learning, and workplace readiness training. The activities can be printed, access electronically, and even e-mailed. The activities are also available as electronic braille files (BRF) in the Unified English Braille (UEB) Code ready to be embossed. The BRF files are available for download at the bottom of each lesson. Right-click and "save as" to download a file to a computer.
- Find a Job - Career planning toolkit for teachers and career advisors
- Skills to Pay the Bills Developed by ODEP focused on teaching workforce softskills to youth, including youth with disabilities ages 14-21 who are both 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.
- Essential Skills to Getting A Job...What Young People with Disabilities need to Know No Cost
The office of Disability Employment Policy, US Department of Labor, provides a summarized list of skills needed to get a job and includes a resource listing of curriculum and materials that can be used by workforce preparation staff.
Activities by Disability Type
- National Deaf Center - Pre-ETS Guide
- CCER VR Orientation & Mobility Community Resources for COVID-19
- Blind Abilities - The free Blind Abilities app is the quickest way to reach your High School students, College bound students, and those seeking information about blindness. All the podcasts and blogs are created by fellow blind/visually impaired people who have or are breaking down the obstacles and sharing their experiences. Categories of podcasts address college-careers and STEM, job insights, tech abilities, technology, independent living and more. Podcasts could be used as part of an activity for the five required pre-ets activities. This was originally created with funding through Pre-ETS from MN-SSB.
Activities by Skill
Financial Literacy/Money Skills
- Money Smart for Young Adults
- National Endowment for Financial Education Homepage. The Jump$tart Coalition
- Clearinghouse of Free Resources contains links to a number of financial literacy tools, including:
- Bank It - Bank It is an online financial literacy program that is designed to help parents and teens understand, talk about, and manage their money. Through use of both a website and guidance on how to conduct live, local workshops, Bank It covers 12 key financial topics, including budgeting, setting goals, investing, charitable giving, earning income, credit and debt, and insurance.
- Check It Out! - This lesson is about checking accounts for middle and high school students. The list includes the following materials: teacher or guest speaker notes, blank checks and check register handouts, reconciliation sheets, and a True or False quiz. This resource supports Michigan Educational Standards and Benchmarks.
- Financial Literacy for Teens - This resource from Investopedia teaches financial literacy topics such as budgeting and money management to teens. There are also links to similar resources for tweens and younger children.
- Financial Literacy for Everyone - This resource from Practical Money Skills provides lesson plans and resources for PreK-College, including students with disabilities.
Health
- Before Age 18 (beforeage18.org) - Short activities with tips and resources about living healthy.
Disability Benefits
- DB101’s Work, Benefits, Youth: Browse DB101's youth section to learn more about school, work, health care, and saving for the future. Try out the School and Work Estimator.
Activities by State
- Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center
- Disability Hub MN: A free statewide resource network that helps you solve problems, navigate the system and plan for your future.
Other
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN): A free online workplace accommodation toolkit.
- Essential Skills to Getting A Job...What Young People with Disabilities need to Know: The office of Disability Employment Policy, US Department of Labor, provides a summarized list of skills needed to get a job and includes a resource listing of curriculum and materials that can be used by workforce preparation staff.