INTRODUCTION
The major focus of vocational training programs is to teach people the skills necessary to accomplish job tasks. However, "life skills" are just as necessary for job success. Life skills constitute a continuum of knowledge and aptitudes that are necessary for a person to function independently (Brolin, 1989) and to avoid interruptions of the employment experience. When one considers all of the skills that go into maintaining a job, it becomes clear that life skills are as important as job skills. Prior to going to work, a person must figure out what to wear, wash up, figure out what she is going to eat at breakfast and lunch, and make sure she has transportation to get to work on time. Once at work, she needs to interact appropriately with her co-workers and supervisor, handle problems appropriately, and understand her paycheck. She needs to know how to budget that money wisely, and engage in healthy, enjoyable activities outside of work. Major skill deficits in one or more of these areas could result in loss of job and require further training at a community rehabilitation program. Without the resources to teach a person life skills, further job skill training could be a wasted effort.
In order to address this problem, Life Skills for Vocational Success has
been developed. A life skills curriculum is not a novel concept. In many
ways, this manual is not novel either. Like other products available, Life
Skills for Vocational Success contains training materials in the typical
areas of life skill training such as social skills, money management,
employability, and health. Furthermore, Life Skills for Vocational Success
relies on common teaching strategies such as modeling and role-playing. Despite
the similarities, this manual deviates from many other life skills training
manuals in the following ways:
Life Skills for Vocational Success is specifically designed for employment
success. It is assumed that people have participated in a training program
to learn daily living skills and become more independent. The training plans
in this manual are devised to provide advanced training for those people
who are preparing to go to work, but need further training to be successful
on the job.
Life Skills for Vocational Success contains reviews and recommendations for
using other life skills training materials available on the market.
Life Skills for Vocational Success contains lesson plans designed to teach
a person skills rather than to provide general knowledge. It is too common
for a training program to present information and test the comprehension
of that information using exercises like crossword puzzles. It is important
that students practice opening a checking account instead of finding the
words "checking account" in a word find activity.
Life Skills for Vocational Success incorporates the benefits of the Internet in training life skills. In addition to providing a wealth of information on disabilities and vocational rehabilitation, it is a great resource for life skills information. Information on child care, buying a car, health care, insurance, etc. can be found on the Internet. As access to the Internet becomes common for community rehabilitation programs, trainers will be able to get information for training and teach students to get their own information to help them in their daily routine.
There are many wonderful training packages that use video, computer, and other stimulating materials. The problem with these materials is that they are expensive and sometimes the usefulness is questionable. This manual includes recommendations about quality training materials and companies. For those organizations that cannot afford the best materials available, the curriculum is designed to provide solid training curricula independent of any product available on the market. This ensures that lack of resources will not keep people from the training they need.
In addition to providing curricula that is accessible to any program, Life Skills for Vocational Success is designed to address the needs of people with varying strengths and deficits. Because this program cannot address all of these different needs, it is written to address the needs of the highest percentage of people who tend to have difficulty developing appropriate life skills. While this group is by no means homogenous, people with mental disabilities (retardation, mental illness, learning disability), a substance abuse history, or life experiences that have interfered with the development of these skills will benefit most from this training. The training is not designed to teach people basic reading, writing, math, and communication skills. This does not mean that people who have severe deficits in these remedial skills cannot benefit from the training. It just means that the life skills curriculum is not designed to provide that training. One might consider some of those skills as prerequisites for the training. The lessons are flexible enough for trainers to mold the information to the student's learning ability.
As mentioned previously, the lesson plans could not be developed to meet the needs of every person receiving vocational rehabilitation services, so it is designed to be flexible. This allows the trainer to fit the training to needs of the individual and the knowledge and expertise of the trainer. The lesson plans are not written in stone. Trainers will be able to provide effective training by following the format as written. If the information is too complex, trainers can simplify the information. If a student or group of students want more information, the trainer should look to the "Supplemental Resources" section of particular lessons that might be used to provide more information. The training will be effective if a trainer wants to make adaptations, utilize the recommended supplemental resources, or incorporate a lesson into an already existing training program.
Brolin, D. E. (1989). Life Centered
Career Education: A Competency Based Approach (3rd ed.). Reston, VA:
The Council for Exceptional Children.
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