Youth Courses & Trainings

Work Readiness Trainings and Self-Advocacy Trainings are funded by Florida’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). If you would like to participate, start by contacting your VR counselor. 

employU’s Youth Work-Readiness Training prepares students with practical skills they will need to enter the workforce. Each 20-hour workshop is designed to help students identify possible career interests, set and track goals, develop communication and conflict resolution skills, build a resume and cover letter, learn the dos and don’ts of interviewing including practicing interview skills, how to be a good employee, explore transportation options, and develop budgeting skills.

These sessions include:

• Relationship Building – Students and instructors get to know each other through interactive lessons.
• Goal Setting – students set goals and learn how to be accountable to them. This is often a life-changing lesson.
• Resume Building – Instructors provide an overview of a resume and what employers look for. They also teach them how to add to their resume so that it becomes stronger as their experience grows.
• Job Search – There is more than just the internet to search for jobs. In fact, the internet is one of the least effective ways people find employment. Our instructors will teach methods designed to not just get a job but to get the job the student wants.
• Applications – In today’s tech-savvy world, most employment applications are online. These applications are also often combined with long, grueling assessments. If not completed properly, these applications can be discarded, and many employers will never have the opportunity to review it with human eyes. During our classes, we provide tips on how to score well on these assessments to make sure each student is considered for their next job.
• Interviewing – Most job seekers today do not spend adequate time preparing and practicing for interviews, often resulting in prolonged periods of unemployment. This is why the majority of class time is dedicated to interview skills and strategies. In our Employment Training Class, we explore customized answers to commonly asked interview. Students can then practice their newly learned skills during mock interview sessions designed to simulate even the most stressful situations to prepare them for real-world interviews.

Self-Advocacy Training is a 30-hour interactive workshop that focuses on the development of soft skills – personal attributes needed for success on the job and apply to any career field. Soft skills relate to how you work and include interpersonal (people) skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, empathy, critical thinking, problem solving, teamworking, professional attitude, and work ethic, among others, which are desirable in all professions.

What are soft skills?

Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with soft skills because they make someone more successful in the workplace. Someone can be excellent with technical, job-specific skills, but if they can’t manage their time or work within a team, they may not be successful in the workplace. Soft skills are also important to the success of most employers. After all, nearly every job requires employees to engage with others in some way. Another reason hiring managers and employers look for applicants with soft skills is that they are transferable skills that can be used regardless of the person’s job. This makes job candidates with soft skills very adaptable employees.

Key takeaways

Participants will build the confidence to speak for themselves, learn to effectively communicate their needs and feelings; understand positive thinking, attitude, and goals; have a clear picture of their skills and interests. They will also conclude their training with several job ready takeaways such as resumes, references, a cover letter and letters of recommendations.

By the end of the training participants will have learned:

• How to effectively navigate conflict​
• How and when to disclose a disability​
• What are reasonable accommodations​ and how to ask for them

They will also have participated in:

• Learning style assessment​s
• Career and interest assessment​s