Career Readiness Curriculum

Program Goal and Outcomes

Program Goal

Teach those in the workforce to develop valuable workplace skills and project the confidence of an employee shaping a successful, upwardly mobile career.

Program Outcomes

Learn the soft skills employers demand to help increase job retention, employee relations, advancement opportunities, and stand out from the competition.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

Treat others with honesty, fairness, and respect
Display responsible behaviors at work
Work effectively with those who have diverse backgrounds
Actively look for ways to identify market demands and meet customer or client needs
Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others
Maintain open lines of communication with others and communicating effectively
Plan and prioritize work to manage time effectively and accomplish assigned tasks
Demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking skills to solve problems by generating, evaluating, and implementing solutions
Display the capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements
Select, use, and maintain tools and technology to facilitate work activity

Orientation Course

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program.

Objectives:

Understand how to use your Student Portal.
Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites

Personal Skills Course

Personal Skills

In this course, you'll learn the personal qualities that employers look for in their employees, such as integrity and dependability. You'll review the baseline responsibilities common to most jobs and the importance of employee handbooks in a successful work environment. You'll also learn strategies to help you be more productive and adapt to change.

Objective:

Explain the personal skills and strategies exhibited by a successful employee

Integrity

What do employers really want? In addition to the skills to do the specific job, they want strong personal qualities, like integrity and dependability. Employers want to know that you will show up, work hard, make good decisions, and be responsible for your actions.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Explain the importance of qualities such as integrity, dependability, respect, punctuality, and accountability
Use strategies, such as setting priorities and deadlines, to be more productive in the workplace
List the behaviors of ethical employees, such as proper use of company time and assets
Describe how to show respect and earn the respect of peers, superiors, customers, and others
Name the baseline responsibilities common to most jobs, such as taking ownership and following through on tasks and commitments
Explain ways to exhibit reliability at work
Evaluate time management strategies to become more punctual
Describe the basic contents of an employee handbook, as well as benefits of reading and following its instructions

Professionalism and Adaptability

All places of work expect some level of professionalism. Being able to stay open and receptive to changes is one important element of acting like a mature professional.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Describe the qualities and characteristics of being a “professional” in the workplace
Identify examples of “professional” versus “unprofessional” language
Take steps to better manage your emotions at work
Act in accordance with the principles of good workplace hygiene
Describe the importance of appropriate workplace dress and/or uniforms
Compare and contrast different ways to handle change in the workplace
Explain what it means to be adaptable in the workplace

People Skills Course

People Skills

In this course, you'll learn to ensure positive interactions with diverse populations. You'll explore various channels of communication and strategies for overcoming communication barriers. You'll also learn about the importance of teamwork, different roles of team members, characteristics of leadership, and strategies for overcoming conflict employed by successful teams.

Objective:

Describe the people skills needed for mutual respect, effective communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution

Respect

This lesson includes important tips for ensuring a positive interaction when working with people from different backgrounds other than your own.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Provide examples of how people in the workplace can differ (for example, age, race, values, and communication styles)
Describe the benefits of having a diverse workforce (for example, more creativity, and more productivity)
Identify ways people and corporations can value diversity in the workplace
Explain the impact of tolerance and keeping an open mind (for example, being cooperative, and practicing empathy)
Define culture and understand how culture can impact work style
Practice cultural sensitivity and be wary of the negative impact of stereotypes and offensive behavior
Define unacceptable and often illegal behaviors, such as discrimination, bullying, racism, sexism, and harassment

Communication Skills

Communication is about expressing your feelings, opinions, and ideas to another person or a group of people. In the workplace and in your personal life, people are more likely to listen to you if you can express your thoughts clearly.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Describe the importance of good workplace communication
Name several ways to be a better communicator at work (use active listening, body language, and so on)
Evaluate the pros and cons of using various communication channels including email, speech, and text
Identify important aspects of communicating with critical individuals such as supervisors and customers
Use strategies for overcoming language barriers on the job
Apply best practices for communicating in person, on the phone, and over email
Compare the benefits of communicating passively, aggressively, or assertively

Teamwork

The ability to work on a team is a skill in its own. But there are additional skills associated with teamwork, such as listening, sharing, and cooperation, to name a few.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Identify ways to build stronger relationships with team members and coworkers
Exhibit good manners in the workplace, including respecting others' space and privacy
Identify your personal strengths when it comes to working on a team
Appreciate the different roles and strengths that each person contributes to a team
Apply strategies for dealing with difficult team members
Describe various leadership styles and the qualities and actions of strong leaders
Use strategies to resolve conflicts peacefully and professionally through negotiation and compromise

Workplace Skills Course

This course focuses on a number of critical workplace skills. Skills include time management, prioritization, the decision-making process, the problem-solving process, and open-mindedness. You'll also learn how to interact with customers in a professional manner.

Planning and Organizing

There are certain activities you can do to improve your planning and time management skills. During this lesson, you’ll learn about activities that will help you become better organized and more efficient with your time. Using these activities will require commitment on your part, but eventually, these activities will become habits.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Identify ways to stay organized on the job (for example, use notes, clean workspaces, and so on)
Create a to-do list and prioritize tasks to manage your workload
Create SMART goals to help you clarify and meet objectives
Use schedules, calendars, and deadlines to better manage time
Delegate or know when to ask others for help
Identify when and how to turn down additional work
Describe pitfalls associated with effectively managing your time, such as waiting until the last minute to complete tasks or dealing with persistent distractions
Analyze steps to take when you're about to miss a deadline

Decision Making and Problem Solving

Everybody can benefit from having good decision-making and problem-solving skills. We make decisions and encounter problems on a daily basis.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Identify factors that impact decision making
Evaluate ways to make decisions
Apply the steps in the decision making process to your life
List the pros and cons of individual versus group decision-making
Follow the rules for good brainstorming
Describe what it means to be a good problem solver
Explain when and how to pass on problems to supervisors or management

Customer Focus

Specific customer needs can vary across business and industries. But there are many universal skills that anyone can learn to improve the customer experience.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Compare serving external customers with serving internal customers
Describe the benefits and importance of being customer focused
Anticipate customers' needs to improve service and foster loyalty
Identify key strategies for communicating with customers across various channels
Ask probing questions to uncover customer needs and issues
Manage and resolve complaints calmly and efficiently
Evaluate ways to obtain customer feedback
Describe how companies use social media to interact with customers

Working with Tools and Technology

Technology is a part of most jobs and nearly every workplace. You should do your best to keep an open mind when it comes to working with technology. You also need to understand important safety requirements when working with technology.

At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Identify the benefits and challenges of using technology in the workplace
Describe ways to use technology to solve problems in the workplace
Assess what it means to be an “early adopter” of a technology
Explain why it can be difficult for people to accept new technology in the workplace
Compare and contrast how different industries use technology in the workplace
Evaluate the use of common technology tools in the workplace (time sheets, time clocks, payment systems, and so on)
State the importance of using technology safely and appropriately to avoid accidents and security breaches

Career Readiness Bootcamp Curriculum Details

Program Goal and Outcomes

Personal Skills Course

People Skills Course

Workplace Skills Course

Sample Career Readiness Bootcamp Lesson