WORK-BASED LEARNING

Session 5
Life Skills in the Workplace

Date | Training Venue

Session Objectives
• Share experiences and insights on conducting
informational interviews
• Identify the life skills that are important to local
employers
• Identify the life skills that are their personal strengths
and those which need improvement
Session Objectives
• Identify the resources required for longer work-
based learning assignments
• Identify the steps for obtaining the resources
required
• Write a letter to employers introducing
themselves and requesting to do a work-based
learning activity
• Describe how the peer coaching phase will work
• Decide if you are interested in being considered
as a
peer coach
Session Agenda
• Debriefing Observations
and Informational
Interviews
• Life Skills in the Workplace
• Practicalities- Resources
and Logistics
• Peer Coaching Introduction
 Let's Recap!
• This involves looking and seeing what happens in a
workplace for a few hours and taking notes.
• This is an activity which involves talking to someone about
their job in a workplace.
• This involves spending the day in the workplace observing
different work activities and talking to different
employees.
• This is working for a few days to try out practical skills and
get real work experience.
• This is working for a few months and getting long-term
experience that can assist you in finding a full-time job
Activity 1: Debriefing
Observations and Informational
Interviews
 TASKS DUE TODAY

You should have conducted the following:

Work Observation

Informational Interview
Raise your hand if
you were able to do
work observations.
Raise your hand if you
were able to do an
informational
interview.
Small Group Discussion
 • Form a group of three members and
discuss the following questions in 10
minutes.
• What did we learn about: Identifying
workplaces?
• What did we learn about: Getting access to
workplaces?
• What did we learn about: Workplace
behaviors?
• What did we learn about: Workplace safety?
Small Group • What interesting jobs did I see?
Discussion • What did I learn about finding jobs?
• Would I be interested in working in this kind of
workplace?
• If I went back, what would I do next time?
Group Discussion
Plenary Sharing
 Discuss the highlights from your small-
group conversations using the
questions to guide you in 5 minutes.
• What did we learn about: Identifying
workplaces?
• What did we learn about: Getting access to
workplaces?
• What did we learn about: Workplace
behaviors?
• What did we learn about: Workplace safety?
Plenary • What interesting jobs did I see?
Sharing • What did I learn about finding jobs?
• Would I be interested in working in this kind of
workplace?
• If I went back, what would I do next time?
Of the places you
visited, which would you
be interested in for a full
day of job shadowing or
work experience?

Write them down.

Are there any other
places you have learned
about from the others
that you are interested
in?

Write them down.

Activity 2:
Life Skills in the Workplace
 Key Ideas

• Today we will prepare for a longer time in the

workplace, and we will start by revisiting life skills.
• In the Life Skills Curriculum, we’ve learned about skills
to be work ready. These include life skills that are
important for all aspects of our lives, and work
readiness skills, the skills needed to succeed at work.
• In the observations and interviews we have done so far,
we have seen these skills in a real-world environment.
Pair Brainstorm
Life Skills Game
 Pair Work Instructions
• Let’s play a cooperative game. That means we work
together and there is no one winner.
• Find a partner. Make sure you have 5 meta cards for this
paired activity.
• On each card, write 5 skills that you observed or talked
about during your work-based learning activities that is
important.
• You have 5 minutes to do this activity.
Share your
answers!
• What were the skills which you
have identified as a pair?
• Why are these skills important?
Let’s post our
Meta Cards on
the Wall
Let’s Tally!
Share your
answers!
• Which skills got the greatest
number of points? Circle them.
 The other life skills are
still important!

But there is a reason

Key Idea these skills came up
over and over again.
Pair Brainstorm
What is important to Employers
Pair Discussion
• What are the top 3 skills that you
heard employers talk about in
your informational interviews?
• Why are they important? Write
them down.
• Discuss the top 3 skills which you
have identified.
Individual Activity
My Own Skills Development
 Individual Activity
Instructions
• Get ready with your pen and paper.
• You will do a personal reflection using Youth Handout 6:
Life Skills in the Workplace (page 43).
• List at least 3 skills that you are strong.
• List at least 3 skills you want to focus on improving.
Handout 6
Life Skills in the Workplace
Page 43- Youth Handbook
Handout 6 – Page
43
Life Skills in the
Workplace
 • The skills that are strong, are skills
that you can mention to an
employer.

• The skills that you want to

Key Ideas improving, are skills that you
should focus on in your upcoming
work-based learning activities.
Activity 3: Practicalities,
Resources and Logistics
There are practicalities we must think about associated with
longer stays in the workplace- one day or longer.
Small Group Discussion
How We Will Get to Work
 • Form a group of three members.
• Brainstorm what certain resources
and arrangements you need to do in
advance.
Group Work • This is a 5-minute activity.
Discussion
Look at the list of your ideas.
Which ones are relevant?
Which ones are not?
Group Work
Resources Required to Get to Work
 Group Work
Instructions
• STEP 1: Form a group with 3
members.
• STEP 2: Read the handout.
Youth Handout 7:
Ensuring the Resources
Required for Work-
based Learning (p. 44)
• STEP 3: In your groups of 3,
complete the youth handout.
Group Discussion
Plenary Sharing on Youth Handout 7
Group
Discussions
What resources will
you need for work-
based learning?
 Key Idea
For the most part, contracts
or agreements are between
you and the employer, not
with the training provider.
The only exception is if the
training provider places you
at a workplace. In those
cases, you will sign an
agreement with the training
provider.
Individual Activity
Letter of Introduction
What are you going to
include in a letter of
introduction when
approaching a workplace
for work-based learning?
Write your own letter of
introduction and share your
output with someone. (10
minutes)
Employer Handout 1
Information for a Potential Host Employer
Pages 45-46: Youth Handbook
 Employer Handout 1 – Pages 45-46
Information for a Potential Host Employer

• Basic Information
• Introducing WBL Program
• Goals of WBL
• What youth will ask from the
Potential Host Employer
• Work Exposure
• Work Experience
• Long Work Experience
• What employer should
provide
Self-Learning Activity
Informational Interviews and Assignments
 Self-Learning Activity
Instructions
• TASK 1: You are to do two informational interviews.
You can use the letters of introduction if you wish. In the
next training day, we will learn about job shadowing.
• TASK 2: Talk to your family about a longer stay in the
workplace and the resources required; and how your
family can support you. Discuss things like
transportation, time required to get to the workplace,
meals, safety, and any other concerns they may have.
• TASK 3: Bring your goal-setting worksheet and bio-
data to the next class. We will update them.
Activity 5: Peer Coaching
Introduction
Session Objectives
By the end of the activity, youth will be able to:

a) Describe how the peer coaching phase will work

b) Decide if they are interested in being considered as a

peer coach
It can take a long time to reach
our goals. Some may reach
their goals after this training,
some may not. And that's okay!
Training may not be enough,
and you need an ongoing
support.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN
BEING A PEER COACH?
Essence of Peer
Coaching Program
• You support each other! You will
walk alongside each other on
your journey as you aim to reach
your goals.
• We will form a peer coaching
group for wage-employment,
and you will support each other
as you look for work.
• It is led by you, the youth. You will
elect your peer leaders (1 male, 1
female).
• Peer coaches will receive training.
Essence of Peer
Coaching Program
• It is an accountability group.
You will set targets each
week. You will do your best to
work towards your goals. If
you have trouble meeting your
targets, you will help each
other and give each
other ideas.
• The group will meet every
week for about an hour.
The groups will meet for
6 months.
Any Questions?
 Role of a Peer
Coach
• Lead weekly meetings (1-1.5 hours)
• Coordinate your group’s targets for the
week (for example, job seeking goals, work-
based learning goals or livelihood goals)
• To lead and inspire your peers, and to help
your group reach its goals
• You are not expected to be an expert or
trainer. But you are a role model!
• You are expected to do all the weekly target
setting activities yourself as well.
• All youth in the group will share ideas with
each other. Your role is to make sure this
happens!
As a Coach, you will:
• Treat your peers as a friend, hold their
hand and walk together along the
path to employment. You are not their
teacher, there is no superiority.
• Share ideas among yourselves on
workplace opportunities in the
surrounding community.
• Improve each other’s skills and
experiences through work exposure
and work experience activities.
• Empower each other to be resilient
and do activities outside of your
comfort zone. Encourage each other
to be confident.
As a Coach, you will:
• Help each other identify your vision
for your future employment and
accompany each other as you take
steps towards realization of your
goals.
• Lead by example. Do all of the work-
based learning and job seeking
activities yourself, and inspire co-
youth through your own stories
• Give co-youth the opportunity to
share information and experience
and to support each other.
As a Coach, you
will:
• Check in or meet with the other peer
coaches and your facilitator.
Phone/face-to-face/text/messenger
are all okay.
• Send brief updates to your facilitator
after each training day.
• Share information to and from your
local Youth Development Coordinator
and about various youth
opportunities to your group
members.
• Advocate about issues identified by
your group to Opportunity 2.0.
 Specific Tasks:
• The elected peer coach will lead a group of about 20
youth.
• Lead and coordinate your group’s activities each week
for 6 months.
• Co-facilitate discussions in your group about your goals
and work-based learning activities.
• Make sure youth sign in, and give the youth sign in
sheets to your facilitator.
Do you have
any
questions?
What are your
key takeaways
from today's
discussion?
 Key Ideas
• Revisiting life skills will help you prepare for a longer time in the
workplace.
• In the Life Skills Curriculum, we’ve learned about skills to be work
ready. These include life skills that are important for all aspects of
our lives, and work readiness skills, the skills needed to succeed at
work.
• In the observations and interviews we have done
so far, we have seen these skills in a real-world environment.
• The skills that are strong, are skills that you can mention to an
employer.
• The skills that you want to improving, are skills that you should focus
on in your upcoming work-based learning activities.
 Did we achieve our
objectives for the day?
• Share experiences and insights on
conducting informational interviews
• Identify the life skills that are important
to local employers
• Identify the life skills that are their
personal strengths and those which
need improvement
 Did we achieve our
objectives for the day?
• Identify the resources required for longer work-
based learning assignments
• Identify the steps for obtaining the resources
required
• Write a letter to employers introducing themselves
and requesting to do a work-based learning activity
• Describe how the peer coaching phase will work
• Decide if you are interested in being considered as
a peer coach
 Reminders!

• Complete the tasks:

• Two informational interviews
• Talk to your family
• Bring goal setting worksheet and biodata
Thank you!