Job Retention Skills for At-Risk Youth

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For this project we propose to develop, produce, and evaluate a DVD-based training program on job retention skills for at-risk teens. Many teens, especially at-risk teens with learning disabilities, just entering the workforce will likely lose their jobs, not because they don't have the practical skills to do their work but because they lack the social skills needed to integrate into the workplace culture. The proposed program will cover job-related social skills in the areas of: Time Management, Job Expectations, Appearance at Work, Socializing in the Workplace, Authority, Zero Tolerance Policies, and Conflicts in the Workplace. The DVD will deliver fast-paced multimedia cartoons that tell interactive stories of teens in work-related situations. DVD video players are a popular low-cost technology that can deliver multimedia interactive programs that do not require the computer hardware and software that many social service providers do not have. In Phase I, we will develop and evaluate units on Getting to Work on Time and Being Timely on the Job (from Time Management) and The Job Description and Employment Contract (from Job Expectations). We will assess the impact of the program using a measure of job related social skills with a group of 96 Job Corps trainees.