A variety of young people prepared to work a variety of jobs.

Competency Area 5: Workforce Preparation

This competency area focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that youth service professionals need to prepare youth, including youth with disabilities, to enter the workforce from job readiness skills development to job search and interviewing to job placement and retention. Click on individual competencies listed below for learning objectives, professional development activities, and resources for that specific competency or scroll down to read them all. Note: The letter “D” indicates a competency specific to youth with disabilities.

5.1 Ability to facilitate job readiness skill-building and assess employability strengths/barriers

5.1 Ability to facilitate job readiness skill-building and assess employability strengths/barriers

Learning Objectives

  • 5.1.1 Identify, use, evaluate, and promote youth job readiness skill-building and assess employability strengths/barriers appropriate for various work settings

Selected Activities

  • List and describe current successful community job readiness skill-building activities and programs
  • Develop a job readiness skill assessment survey using local labor market information, case study information, and the demographics of the youth your organization works with.
  • Based on the survey results from item #2 above, list and describe several program ideas to meet the needs of this population

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Identify or develop a survey that will assess individual employability strengths/barriers
  • Develop program strategies that will promote the development of job-readiness skills

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.2 Ability to teach job search skills, including use of technology and the Internet

5.2 Ability to teach job search skills, including use of technology and the Internet

Learning Objectives

  • 5.2.1 Facilitate search skills, including use of technology and the Internet

Selected Activities

  • Visit various job search website (such as those listed on CareerOneStop.org’s webpage of private sector job sites) and get familiar with how individuals can use these online job search tools to search for jobs
  • List and describe several career search resources that you can use with your organizational population
  • Assist in the drafting of resumes and perform mock interviews

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Demonstrate ability to conduct small group work-readiness training, using available curriculum, modified as needed to fit the audience (satisfactory training is based on student evaluations)
  • Develop and maintain an updated resource list related to search strategies and resources for career skills, readiness and skill-building.
  • Demonstrate the ability to search for jobs using Internet resources

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.3 Ability to coach youth, assist in job maintenance, and provide follow-up support

5.3 Ability to coach youth, assist in job maintenance, and provide follow-up support

Learning Objectives

  • 5.3.1 Develop, implement, and monitor strategies to help youth in job maintenance

Selected Activities

  • Talk to employers who you have worked with in the past, and learn how your organization can support them in implementing strategies to assist youth in job maintenance

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Develop a plan of youth job maintenance and follow-up strategies

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.4 Ability to match youth with appropriate jobs and careers, including job analysis and skills standards

5.4 Ability to match youth with appropriate jobs and careers, including job analysis and skills standards

Learning Objectives

  • 5.4.1 List and describe strategies that you can use to match youth with appropriate jobs and careers, including job analysis and skills standards

Selected Activities

  • Explore various online tools you can use to help youth match their preferences and skill standards with jobs and careers such as MyNextMove.org and O*Net Online

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Develop an individualized plan that uses information from career interest and skills assessment tools to identify jobs
  • Prepare a matrix that can be used as a guide to match youth with appropriate jobs and careers, including job analysis and skills standards
  • Create position descriptions using job analysis skills

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.5 Ability to involve employers in preparation process

5.5 Ability to involve employers in preparation process

Learning Objectives

  • 5.5.1 Facilitate and support collaborative involvement of employers in job preparation process

Selected Activities

  • Research employers in your community who support youth related activities. Talk to them about why they are involved and help them connect their interests to your organization

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Demonstrate mock interviews with local employers in preparation process
  • Identify employers to serve as curriculum advisors, speakers, work experience sites, or to help in other ways

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.6D Ability to conduct job analysis, matching, customizing, and carving for youth with disabilities, including accommodations, supports, and modifications

5.6D Ability to conduct job analysis, matching, customizing, and carving for youth with disabilities, including accommodations, supports, and modifications

Learning Objectives

  • 5.6.D.1 Use and describe multiple methods to assess, collect, analyze, and interpret job analysis, matching/customizing outcomes for youth with disabilities, including accommodations, supports, and modifications with possible job descriptions

Selected Activities

  • Produce a short newsletter or e-letter for youth that includes information on market trends.

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Visit O*NET OnLine, choose an in-demand occupation and create a matrix of four different types of disabilities and the accommodations, supports, and modifications that a person with each disability may need to succeed in that occupation

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources

5.7D Knowledge of support required to place youth in jobs, including what employers need to know about reasonable accommodations, undue burden, assistive technology, funding streams, and tax incentives

5.7.D Knowledge of support required to place youth in jobs, including what employers need to know about reasonable accommodations, undue burden, assistive technology, funding streams, and tax incentives

Learning Objectives

  • 5.7.D.1 Maintain an inclusive and cohesive list and descriptions of support required to place youth in jobs, including what employers need to know about reasonable accommodations, undue burden, assistive technology, funding streams, and tax incentives

Selected Activities

  • List support options required to place youth in jobs. Including:
    • what employers need to know about reasonable accommodations
    • undue burden
    • assistive technology
    • funding streams
    • tax incentives

Demonstration of Learning – Show What You Know!

  • Create employer information packets concerning the ten most common disabilities among youth placed in jobs by your organization. Packets should include what employers need to know about reasonable accommodations, undue burden, assistive technology, funding streams, and tax incentives. You may want to visit The Job Accommodations Network (JAN) website for information about job-specific accommodation information and the Employer Assistance Resource Network (EARN) website for information employers need to know about recruiting, hiring, and retaining individuals with disabilities.

Resources Developed by NCWD/Youth and Partners

Other Resources