The text and tools in this section are designed to help resident services coordinators engage, guide and support community residents in finding out about the world of work, learning about their vocational interests and abilities and preparing to access the services of a workforce development provider. Specifically, the tools in this section can be used to:
Assess workforce development service providers.
Identify residents’ career interests and skills.
Provide career guidance.
Help residents identify and overcome employment barriers.
Help residents improve their “soft” skills.
Help residents strengthen their interview techniques.
The Employment Services section provides the following resources:
1. Facts on Employment Services: This fact sheet defines employment services, identifies the typical needs of job seekers who require employment support, lists key employment trends and common barriers to employment and summarizes useful online resources for learning about employment services.
2. Do Your Residents Need Employment Services?: This list of key indicators can help resident managers think through the need for an employment services referral strategy. It is a useful starting point before conducting a more thorough analysis of the employment services options available to residents.
3. Assessing an Employment Services Provider: This assessment form is designed to assist community-based housing organizations in acquiring and assessing information about the scope and quality of services provided by local employment services providers. The resident services manager should complete this form during an on-site interview with providers.
4. Tools to Help Residents Choose a Career: This describes two effective online resources for taking an inventory of someone’s career interests. It can be used by resident services staff to guide residents in their selection of colleges and majors, help new workers in making their first career decision, and assist adults facing a mid-life career change.
5. The Client-Intake Process: This summary of the typical intake process can be used by resident services managers to advise and prepare residents for entry into an employment or welfare-to-work program. It briefly describes the typical components of an intake, including: eligibility, program orientation, data collection, identification of barriers and assets and the development of a career strategy.
6. Addressing a Client’s Barriers to Employment: Resident managers can use this checklist to identify employment barriers that job seekers should address in order to successfully obtain and retain employment and make progress in their career paths. It includes eight steps to help resident service coordinators address attitudes or habits that are barriers to employment. Developed by California-based WorkNet Training Services (www.worknettraining.com), this document is used to train employment specialists.
7. Addressing Negative Background Information During Your Job Search: By sharing this list of strategies with job seekers, resident services managers can help their residents to present negative background information (such as past drug use or convictions) in the best light.
8. Introduction to “Soft” Skills: This is an overview of soft skills, such as communication strategies and interview techniques, why they are important and how to help job seekers to build them.
9. Sample One-Week “Soft” Skills Curriculum: By using this curriculum outline to plan training opportunities for job seekers, resident services staff can provide useful advice on such key topics as goal-setting, communication skills, interview techniques, proper attire and appropriate behavior on the job.
10. Pre-Job Search Checklist: This checklist, designed by WorkNet Training Services, can help job seekers get organized for an efficient and productive job search. It includes special tasks for recovering addicts, those diagnosed with a mental disorder, ex-convicts and those with young children.
12. Tips for Success on the Job: By sharing these lessons, compiled by STRIVE, resident services staff can help job seekers steer clear of problems on the job and position themselves for career advancement.
13. Seven Ways to Boost Job Retention: This document provides ideas on how to increase retention rates among residents who prefer not to use the services of an employment services provider.
14. Group Exercise on Maintaining Employment: Through this group discussion-based exercise, developed by the National Association on Drug Abuse Problems (www.nadap.org), participants can learn positive ways to handle difficult situations and maintain their employment.
15. Group Exercise on Common Work-Related Triggers: This exercise, developed by the National Association on Drug Abuse Problems (www.nadap.org), encourages participants to select their most common “triggers” and develop new, better solutions that can help them to prosper on the job.
