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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

  1. Minnesota’s Youth in Transition Framework
  2. Educate yourself
  3. Engage families
  4. Support youth
    1. My best life
    2. In(ter)dependent living
    3. Employment
    4. Postsecondary education and training
3

Employment

Skills for success

Build job readiness skills

Does the youth have job readiness skills?

Job readiness skills include:

  • Initiative, flexibility and problem solving
  • Positive attitude
  • Ability to follow directions
  • Willingness to learn (and ask for help) when needed
  • Self-discipline, integrity, punctuality and time management
  • Ability to accept feedback and complete tasks accurately
  • Safety basics and proper handling of tools, material, data and money
  • Awareness: Understand job readiness skills and their importance in the work environment.
  • Exploration: Identify personal strengths, preferences, interests, and needs related to job readiness skills.
  • Preparation: Practice job readiness skills at home, school and in the community.
  • Implementation: Apply job readiness skills on the job.

Workplace readiness training

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn how to help youth build job readiness skills.

  • Workplace training firm DeepHow offers a beginner's guide to workplace readiness skills to help ensure people are well-equipped to face the challenges of the modern workplace. 
  • Learn about workplace readiness skills with this resource from Virginia's Career & Technical Education Center, which also includes lessons to use with students. A toolkit to use with parents to reinforce the lessons at home is also available (see the “Workplace readiness skills toolkit” accordion in the DO section below).

Workplace readiness training from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition features a collection of activities to help youth practice key work skills. 

DO: Work with youth

Find resources to help youth build job readiness skills.

  • Do they wake up in the morning and get started on their own?
  • Can they prioritize tasks that need to be accomplished?
  • Do they have a method for organizing their work and keeping track of assignments and deadlines?
  • Can they break large tasks or assignments into smaller, more manageable components?
  • Do they procrastinate on their schoolwork to the point that assignments are not done well or at all?

The Utah Education Network offers:

Cover of the Utah Education Network's Workplace Skills curriculum
Critical workplace skills (curriculum)

Use Virginia's workplace readiness skills for the commonwealth to introduce or reinforce understanding of workplace readiness skills in the classroom.

Virginia CTE Resource Center's Workplace Readiness Skills webpage
Workplace readiness skills

The Workplace Readiness Skills Toolkit from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Center on Transition Innovations provides educators and families with activities to reinforce workplace readiness skills at home.

Cover of the Center on Transition Innovation's Workplace Readiness Toolkit
Workplace Readiness Skills Toolkit
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