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Teaching soft skills...Is it really possible?
This document summarizes a presentation about teaching soft skills and work ethics. It discusses how employers desire people with soft skills like punctuality, appropriate appearance, willingness to learn, ability to work cooperatively with others, and good work habits. It defines work ethics and explains why they are important for workplace success. The presentation suggests work ethics can be developed through experiences like home life, school, work, role models, and structured training programs that include goal setting, skill building, feedback, and reinforcement. It concludes by proposing various ideas for incorporating work ethics training, such as teaching it in schools, career centers, GED programs, and with social services recipients.
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Teaching soft skills...Is it really possible?
- 1. Teaching Soft Skills… Isit Really Possible? Presentation for the North East Regional Employment and Training Association By Joanie Stephen Smart Work Ethics
- 2. If you ignoreit-- it just gets worse
- 3.
- 4. “They don’t showup on time.” “They aren’t dressed appropriately.” “And sometimes they don’t show up at all.” Business and Industry continue to say…
- 5. Employers are lookingfor people who: • Want to work • Who have an understanding of workplace responsibilities • Who are willing to learn and grow • Who can work cooperatively with others, and • Who are disciplined and motivated in their work habits In other words, someone with “WORK ETHICS”
- 6. What are WorkEthics? Why are they necessary? Who needs them? How do people get them?
- 7. Work Ethic A motivatingbelief that employees owe their employer a full day of diligent work including following their supervisor’s instructions. Courtesy The habitual use of “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me,” and “May I help you?” in dealing with customers, supervisors, and colleagues. Teamwork The ability to share responsibilities, confer with others, honor commitments, help others do their jobs, and seek help when needed. Purdue University lists Soft Skills as: PURDUE UNIVERSITY Responsibility
- 8. Why are “WorkEthics” Important? Impacts production Enhance workplace environment Creates the culture of the workplace Allows employees to move up the career ladder
- 9. What Happens WhenYour Workforce Doesn’t Have Work Ethics? Perceived problem that a workforce is not available Classes for hard skills unfilled Lack of enrollment in tech programs Harder to learn hard skills Causes higher unemployment Creates high turnover Impacts production
- 10. How Do YouGet a Quality Workforce? Identify Workforce Presently employed—but problem employee Unemployed School graduates Future school graduates
- 11. So, where doyou “get” work ethics? Home School Work Role Model --Sports or other activities
- 12. What about theperson who has never been taught work ethics?
- 13. If you ignoreit, it just gets worse.
- 14. State governments havegreat programs and doors are opened every day. However, the open door sometimes feels like . . .
- 18. Work Ethics Resume andInterview Skills Job Skills Mentoring Present Workforce SUCCESS
- 19. Understanding Strengths andStressors Attitude Punctuality and Attendance Appearance Cognitive Skills Interpersonal Skills Time Management Goal Setting Self Management Working with a Difficult Boss So, let’s talk about work ethics. What do we really mean? Personal Responsibility
- 20. Work Ethic A motivatingbelief that employees owe their employer a full day of diligent work including following their supervisor’s instructions. Courtesy The habitual use of “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me,” and “May I help you?” in dealing with customers, supervisors, and colleagues. Teamwork The ability to share responsibilities, confer with others, honor commitments, help others do their jobs, and seek help when needed. Purdue University lists Soft Skills as: PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- 21. We need an“out of the box” solution
- 23.
- 24. The Small StepsNecessary Training Building on skill development Goal setting Celebrating successes Reinforcements Movement to the next step --successful employment
- 25. TRAINING Telling is nottraining Orientation Policy Manual Supervisor Instruction Employee Meetings Motivational Speakers
- 26. Training Must Include ExperientialActivities Tell them what you are going to have them do -- and why Have them do what you want them to do Have them report on their experience
- 27. Effective training must *Engage the person * Create interest * Provide relevance If it does not do these things then it is like going to a foreign film and not being able to read the subtitles.
- 28. Build On EachSkill Introduce the skill Give them a point of reference When introducing new skills refer back to other learned skills and show how they connect.
- 29. It is justlike telling a child to “Go clean your room.” If they have never cleaned their room then it is a good idea to start with: Hang up all the clean clothes that are in your room Then: Put all the shoes away in the closet Then: Pick up all the dirty clothes and put them in the dirty clothes hamper Then: Make your bed
- 30. Encourage Success Feedback isimportant Trainer feedback Participant feedback Reinforcement program Tangible reinforcers Social reinforcers
- 31. Reinforcement Program Behavioral reinforcementis used to create change. Reinforcement refers to methods of strengthening behaviors so that they will increase, or will continue, to be performed. Use: • Tangible reinforcers (material objects) • Social reinforcers (attention, praise, approval and acknowledgement)
- 32. Reinforcers are usedto Create interest Encourage enthusiasm Take ownership They are designed to move participants from classroom reinforcements to natural reinforcements Job retention Promotions Pay raises
- 35. Some critics ofbehavioral methods have argued that individuals should perform desirable behaviors simply because of their intrinsic value.
- 36. “They just needto pull themselves up by their bootstraps” “They don’t want to work” “They feel entitled.”
- 37. Except for behaviorsthat satisfy our basic physiological needs, such as eating or sleeping, the value of all behaviors is learned. Participants in a Work Ethics program will learn that increased work ethic can lead to: • Increased job retention • Fewer work place problems • Increased productivity • Promotions • Pay raises
- 38. Consider These Ideas! TeachWork Ethics in schools (Grade/s ?) Teach Work Ethics to everyone who comes to the Career Centers/ One Stops Teach Work Ethics at the beginning of the GED programs
- 39. Consider These Ideascontinued Teach Work Ethics with company orientations Teach Work Ethics with juvenile probation programs Teach Work Ethics with re-entry programs
- 40. Consider These Ideascontinued Teach Work Ethics at every Community College Teach Work Ethics with every Technical College Teach Work Ethics to applicants for Pell Grants/ student loans
- 41. Consider These Ideascontinued Teach Work Ethics with Ready-to-Work programs Teach Work Ethics with Housing Board recipients Teach Work Ethics in the Foster Child Independent Living Program
- 42. Consider These Ideascontinued Teach Work Ethics with Big Brothers Big Sisters Programs Teach Work Ethics to Job Corps participants Teach Work Ethics…
- 43. What can bedone TODAY • Acknowledge the need for a new approach to Work Ethics training • Incorporate a program for Work Ethics in the schools/prisons/GED programs, etc. • Create the change necessary to provide states with a stable and strong workforce • Train the present workforce in Work Ethics • Train the incoming workforce in Work Ethics
- 46. REALLY GREAT RECIPE Serves6 12 Ounces thick-sliced bacon Kosher salt Vegetable oil 1 pound small pasta, such as cavatappi 1 quart whole milk 8 tablespoons butter ½ cup all-purpose flour 12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated 6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled ½ cup Rioja wine ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 5 slices French bread, crusts removed ¼ cups chopped fresh basil leaves
- 48. SHOPPING LIST Cavatappi Gruyere cheese Extra-sharpcheddar cheese Blue cheese Nutmeg Basil Rioja
- 52. So, what dowe end up with?
- 53.
- 54. You can providean “out of the box” solution.
- 55. REALLY GREAT RECIPE Serves20 Attendance Critical Thinking Commitment Good Attitude Dependability Goal Setting Time Management Punctuality Self Management Appearance Good Work Ethic And ……
- 56. Facilitator Training Participant Manual AllClassroom Materials All Reinforcements Coaching SHOPPING LIST
- 57. It’s time toget started!