Remedial Education | Soft Skills Training
GENERAL EDUCATION
Many labor force development programs are designed to give work force participants basic educational skills that will improve their chances of finding and retaining employment in any industry. This type of training is not occupation or industry specific. That is a key distinction. The skills developed as a result of these programs are portable; they move with the worker.
Programs that teach general education skills usually target those who
have not yet entered the labor force: they focus on preparing the next
generation of workers. Job training systems are often ill equipped to
deliver these types of services. Little or no attention has been given
to the idea of working with parents to teach them to be better job coaches
for their children. Intervention is usually introduced only when traditional
education has failed.
Remedial Education
Remedial education programs target those who lack competency in such core areas as reading, writing and arithmetic. Computer literacy is also a common component. These programs often seek to help individuals without a high school diploma or equivalent.
Examples:
- Bidwell Training Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Bidwell Training Center offers various academic and literacy programs that build the basic skills of the local labor force. Bidwell has a wide range of tailored support services to help identify and remove barriers that stand in the way of further education. Trained professionals who are experts in working with adult learners provide the instruction. Free student classes include adult literacy, math and reading skills, and beginning instruction in typing and computer keyboarding. Bidwell also offers G.E.D. preparation classes for students who lack a high school diploma. Bidwell Training Center [online]. For more information: http://www.bidwell-training.org/.
In recent years more attention has been directed toward developing the "soft skills" of job seekers. Many work force training programs have focused on developing the skills needed to perform specific jobs. But there is concern that a large segment of the labor force lacks the basic skills needed to secure employment in any industry. Soft skills training programs expose individuals to the more general skills needed to find jobs and maintain them for the long-term. Among these skills are interviewing, time management, interpersonal relations, accepting supervision and recognizing the importance of a positive attitude. Such programs target persons who have limited work experience and may not have the tools to obtain a job or keep a job for long periods.
Examples:
- The Personal Management Skills: Soft Skills Training Curriculum, National
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has developed a program specifically designed to assist individuals in learning life skills that will help them in the job market. The Personal Management Skills: Soft Skills Training Curriculum includes nine lessons organized within three key areas: positive attitudes and behaviors, adaptability and responsibility. The lessons teach participants workplace values and ethics; taking direction and accepting criticism; self-motivation and initiative; strengths and limitations; overcoming obstacles, recognizing and respecting diversity and change; resource management; time management, and money management.
The training curriculum is available to multi-service technology centers that have been established as part of HUD's Neighborhood Networks program. Neighborhood Networks, which began in 1995, builds on public/private partnerships to help fill the digital divide and provide opportunities for lifelong learning to individuals and families in assisted housing. "Soft skills training curriculum debuts on web." HUD's Neighborhood Networks [online]. For more information: www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwnew_0897.html