The Career & Technical EducationAnnual February 2013 Conference

B.E.S.T. Basic Employability Skills Training

& Job Readiness

Be the BEST you can be!

•BESTBasic Employability Skills Training

• Job Readiness Workforce Center Services

BEST beginnings

• JC Workforce Summit, January 2005

• Quality Workforce Committee

• Missouri program (NEMO BEST)

• Local development

Why BEST?

Need for a quality workforce

Industry skills can be taught

Soft skills cause many employees to lose their jobs

Employers requested training in the soft skills

7 BEST Workshops1. Be There! – Looking Good

2. Power of a Positive Attitude

3. Keeping Your Job

4. Working with the Public/Customer Service

5. Communicating Effectively

6. Resolving Conflict

7. Ethics in the Workplace

BEST Outline• Stand alone Modules taught in 75-90

minute segments

• Employers, participants can select areas of need/interest

• Training can be provided on-site for schools, business and industry

Module 1: Be There! – Looking Good

Deals with absenteeism and punctuality

• Asks participants to plan ahead!

Participants consider various appearance and grooming scenarios for interview and workplace

Looking Good• Definitely OK for WORKPLACE • Definitely NOT OK for WORKPLACE •  IT DEPENDS• chewing gum• Budweiser© shirt• cologne or after shave• tennis/running shoes• Sandals-flip flops• tattoos

Power of a Positive Attitude

• Identify positive personal attributes

• Consider positive v. negative approaches to various situations

Power of a Positive Attitude

• It’s not my job!

Keeping Your Job• Focuses on behaviors and attribute of

quality employees -- workplace “etiquette”

Working with the Public/Customer Service

• Who are your customers?

• Learn strategies for dealing with difficult customers

• Paying attention to your customers!

Customer Service Quiz

1. The average company/organization doesn’t hear from _____% of unhappy customers.

2. An unhappy customer will complain about a problem or poor service to ___ others; 13% will tell more than ___ people.

3. The average customer will only tell ____ others about the resolution of a problem.

Thinking positively:

• new here.

• I don’t think I can do that.

• I’m supposed to get off work in 5 minutes.

Effective Communication

• Learn/practice active listening

• Generations in the workplace

Communicating EffectivelyListening Skills Checklist• Makes eye contact• Facial expression is appropriate and shows interest• Body language/posture encourage speaker• Paraphrases speaker to clarify and show

understanding• Displays a positive attitude• Doesn’t interrupt• Ignores distractions

Resolving Conflict

• Strategies for managing conflict and identifying sources of conflict

Dealing with difficult people

• The attention seeker

• The chronic complainer

• The hothead

• The backstabber

• A: Team member

• B: Team member

• C: The supervisor/mediator

“A” wants to be moved to another team, because “B” has been making jokes at her expense in front of other employees. Although “A” says she has asked “B” to stop, “B” has not only continued, he has done it even more. “B” says that “A” is just too sensitive and can’t take a joke. They want you (“C”) to settle it.

I statements

1. Start with “When…”

ex. When people arrive late for their shift…

2. Start with “I feel…”

ex. …I feel frustrated…

3. Start with “because…”

ex.…because we can’t meet our production when we are short-handed.

Ethics in the Workplace

• Participants use real-life scenarios to identify ethical/unethical choices and behaviors

• Employee sabotage, personal and company values

This certificate is awarded to

DateSignature

Certificate of

Completion

Module 8: Ethics

BEST

Basic

Employability

Skills

Training

BESTBasic Employability Skills Training

Module 7: EthicsThis certificate indicates the participant attended training where the following topics were presented:

Defining ethicsConsidering behavioral options and consequencesReviewing real life situations and making personal decisions

Like everyone else, I've got the same trucks.Like everyone else, I've got the same potatoes.Like everyone else, I've got the same machinery.The only thing I can have better is better people.Herman Lay, entrepreneur

Workforce Centers

• 23 locations across the state– Additional “virtual” locations– Mobile Workforce Center

• Services offered – Employer– Job Seeker – Youth

Virtual Services www.virtualservices.kansasworks.com

Job SeekerWorkforce Center Recourses

• Initial Needs Assessments

• Career Planning• Skills Assessment

• Labor Market Information

• Job Search • Navigating the Internet• Job Postings• Job Fairs

Job SeekerWorkforce Center Recourses

• Resume • Resume Writing Software• Reviews and Critiques• One-On-one Assistance

• Training • WIA Training Programs • Grant Programs

• Workshops• Interviewing• Resume• Job Readiness

Job SeekerWorkforce Center Recourses

• Disability Resources

• Kansas WorkReady! Certificate

WIAWorkforce Investment Act

• Federal Job Training Funds (Title I)• Adults • Dislocated Workers • Youth

• One-Stop Operation

• Employment Services

Employer Workforce Center Recourses

• Employer Resources – Job Postings

• Referral Assistance – Career Fairs – Kansas WorkReady! Certification – Personal Skills Assessments – Training– Labor Market Information

KANSASWORKS.com

Key Features:• Job seekers can post a resume

• Employers can search resumes• Statewide business teams use resumes for

jobs not open to the public• Job seekers can be alerted to openings from

specific employers or job types• Resources are available to job seekers and

employers

WorkReady! Certification

• Developed by ACT, Inc.• Measures transferable, work-place skills• Skills can be communicated to business using a work

readiness certificate

Certificate Levels • Platinum

• 6 or above on all three assessments

• Gold 5 or above on all three assessments

• Silver 4 or above on all three assessments

• Bronze 3 or above on all three assessments

Kansas WORKReady!

• Staff key positions with qualified employees

• Reduce expenses related to:– Recruiting– Selection– Hiring– Promotion– Training– Turnover

• “Screen In” job candidates

Kansas WORKReady!

Kansas WORKReady! can:– Provide tangible proof of workplace skills– Be used as an additional tool for hiring– Determine a training program which may

result in increased skills and earnings– Be used as a portable credential – Standardized skill level requirements-you

know what you are getting!

Workforce Center Partners

• Kansas Department of Labor

• Vocational Rehabilitation

• Veteran Services and

Representatives

• Job Corps

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Questions

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