Review 1

The WIN Career Readiness online course is an appropriate choice for programs that have adequate internet access and multiple computer work stations and are working with youth who plan to work in private sector enterprises structured along U.S. or developed country workplace models. One of its strengths is the leveled approach to developing content knowledge and strengthening skills. While there is not an online summary available to either the instructor/manager or the learner, there may be "background" material available off-line to the instructor or manager that details the specific competencies covered in each module, as the course materials are designed to meet specific U.S. standards-based and competency-based assessment systems.

Course materials are up to date, and the content is thorough and consistent with best practices for the content of employability/work readiness courses, with its inclusion of observation and locating information skills, as well as the option of applied technology for learners who might be going into further study in this area. However, some materials may not be familiar to youth in developing countries, and the reading level may be a barrier to some youth.  

Course content is prescribed and pre-set, and instruction is delivered to the learner, in much the same way a teacher would deliver a lecture, with some activities included. The only choice open to the learner is which module to work on. Learners have the opportunity to demonstrate what they already know, as they answer questions for each level. However, they can only respond to the questions asked; they do not have the opportunity to draw on other experiences or skills and knowledge that they may have. Clearly learners will gain a lot of knowledge, and perhaps self-confidence, from completing each module. How they apply their new skills and knowledge is a big question, as there are few opportunities to try them out in real life. Most course materials are available in downloadable PDF, and it is possible to imagine a course instructor adapting these printed materials to specific country contexts and, along with additional activities, creating a more participatory course for a group of learners working together.

The reading level is quite high across all modules. Level 1 of Reading for Information is not at a beginning literacy level, for example. Assuming that this version of the course has been developed with U.S. high school level students in mind, then the levels may be appropriate. The format is easy to use and inviting, though more illustrations could be used and the type font could be larger. Learners can follow their own progress, and there is an audio feature that could be helpful to students trying to improve English pronunciation skills, or for those who have limited vision.

In addition, there are contextualized modules for a range of industry and business sectors (hospitality, healthcare, architecture,agriculture, automotive, etc.). The materials in this course are sequenced along a developmental continuum of increasing complexity, with clearly identified levels, each of which builds on the previous. Each level contains instructional/background material, a variety of problem-solving or identification exercises in multiple-choice format, and an assessment. The course is self-paced and completing all modules is optional. The length of time the course takes is dependent on the number of modules used and the skill level of the learner.

Review 1

The Passport to Success curriculum is carefully designed to be easily adapted for youth and young adults who need to learn about and prepare for the world of work in a range of learning settings, and in a variety and range of countries. Its two components, work readiness and service-learning, can be used together or separately depending on what is needed. While prescriptive, with specific activities and times for exercises and handouts—a strength where teachers have not had much training and/or experience—it can also easily be adapted by more experienced teachers. Ideally this curriculum would be accompanied by work internships, an apprenticeship or job skills training program, and an introduction to the requirements of specific entry level and more advanced jobs within a particular industry.

On its own, the curriculum offers help with "soft" skills such as active listening, goal setting, problem solving and decision making, assertiveness, study skills, managing conflicts, managing money, and others, but many youth seeking jobs also need other work-related trade, craft or agricultural knowledge and skills. Another area that could be added to this curriculum is a formative and summative learning assessment model. It would be difficult, for example, for a teacher—or learners—to know if a learner has attained the necessary work readiness skills, knowledge and attitudes. The lessons do not include a formal assessment or evaluation of a learning section, and some of the learning objectives are not described in measurable terms; however, in the application section, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned and how they can apply it.

Review 1

KeyTrain Career Ready 101 offers a wide range of high quality instructional modules related to developing career readiness skills. The material is most suitable for use either prior to or at the time of specific skill development. The various instructional units are self-paced with students progressing through different content areas and levels of instruction. The flexibility provided is a strength of the material; the material can accommodate differences in interest, background, achievement and career goals. Students also can progress at different rates. The instructional path is easy to follow, the material is clearly presented and the format attractive. There is ample material for teacher use, including a system for tracking student progress. While some technical areas are examined in relation to career readiness skills, such as mechanics and hydraulics, the majority of the instructional material relates to applied math writing skills and work habits and attitudes.

Overall, the presentation is basic and “conventional,” with little innovation and creativity. But it is solid. Students basically complete exercises. Like all IT based instructional material, however, there are challenges to consider. Students need to have appropriate reading and computer skills. There are also hardware requirements that need an up-front and on-going investment. The maintenance of hardware will be a continuing challenge. Economies of scale are required to offset what can be a high unit cost of instruction if the user base is not large. System as well as content obsolescence is a fact that will inevitably arise. Typically the use life of this kind of instructional material is five years.

 

Review 1

I reviewed four textbooks (in English) in the Professional Development series used with Workplace Success. These include:

Book 1: The Workplace: Today and Tomorrow

Book 2: The Workplace: Interpersonal Strengths

Book 3: The Workplace: Personal Skills

Book 4: Chart Your Career

EFE says its target group is out-of-school youth in developing countries and domestic youth from diverse educational and economic backgrounds aged 15-24. The textbook content suggests to me, however, that the target audience appears to be college level or high school or vocational school students who are seeking professional careers. The photographs, while they include a range of students from many cultures, appear to be of those who are headed toward white collar jobs. The curriculum would appear to be especially relevant for those who are headed toward careers in high-demand industries and career clusters such as: Information Technology, Health Science, Retail/Wholesale Sales and Service, Communication and Media, and finance and Accounting.

Book 1 focuses on occupations that the authors believe are most likely to have job openings in the coming years, how students can prepare for these jobs,  and what the workplace environment is like: "professional business protocol, professional presence, and a customer first attitude are also explored and discussed." Book 4, as another example, offers guidance on planning a career and on developing, changing, and maintaining it with accurate information. Book 4 includes such topics as researching jobs and careers, writing a resume, advancing through promotion, networking and interviewing.

I found the content of all four books quite interesting and helpful to students who are exploring work, their first job(s) and careers. The clusters chosen are very likely to be in high demand in many of the countries where the program is currently operating. My only concern is that these were developed in 2005 and have not been updated since then and much has changed in the world economy in this time period that may need to be reflected in these books. In addition, this program is focused on what students heading into a professional work world will need, so it is based on expert knowledge of that world rather than on students' individual needs and perceptions and a curriculum that emerges from those needs. The classes are described as  having interactive group activities and perhaps the curriculum is tailored through these or through the internships or on-the-job training.

The EFE Training of Trainers (ToT) manuals were not reviewed and the facilitators' guides were reviewed as they were made available to Ready for Work by EFE. 

Review 1
Know About Business is designed and intended for use in a formal school setting, from secondary school through higher education. The Facilitator's Guide, Student Workbook, and instructional Modules provide all the materials that are needed to implement a comprehensive course that introduces young people to the world of business and entrepreneurship. The fact that the materials have been translated into over 15 languages makes the curriculum accessible and immediately useful to practitioners in a range of countries. Because the materials are only available to facilitators who complete an [International Labour Organization] ILO-authorized Training of Facilitators, the quality and integrity of the curriculum delivery is not left to chance. 
While many of the activities could be adapted for use with youth who may have only a primary school education or one or two years of secondary school, the materials are heavily text-dependent. Practitioners who are interested in using these materials should pay close attention to the academic skill levels of potential youth participants and plan accordingly. Of course, staff of secondary, vocational or technical schools, and higher education institutions will also want to study the materials and make decisions about using the materials that best fit with the needs and schedules of youth participants. 
This curriculum does not  place an emphasis on market-driven approaches to entrepreneurship. The curriculum would be strengthened by a full module that helps young people learn about the process of  investigating and analyzing market opportunities, introduces the concept of value-chains, and guides students in how to make decisions based on market demands. 
Those looking for more traditional business development materials will find useful information and activities that help young people think through the nitty-gritty of starting and running a small business.

Review 1

The EFF Preparing for Work curriculum is well organized and based on content standards developed over a decade of work by staff in the EFF project sponsored by the U.S. National Institute for Literacy. These standards are used, or have been adapted by many states across the U.S. The standards are enhanced by the inclusion of SCANS [U.S. Secretary's Commission for the Advancement of Necessary Skills] tasks and competencies, and enriched by a learning/teaching approach that is experiential, through a range of learning activities, and does not rely heavily on teacher lecture, presentation or demonstration, and that has many high-interest activities, readings and exercises.



The EFF curriculum is especially useful for learners who need to improve their basic reading and writing skills while also preparing for their first job. However, it is not especially designed for those who are learning English as a second or other language or for those in other (especially non-western) countries and cultures. It is contextualized to practices found in the U.S. or perhaps in North America. It is also not specific to any particular vocation, industry or sector. This curriculum offers generic skills and knowledge needed for the world of work in a modern economy.

Review 1
The Career Passport does not offer specific "life skills" and/or "employability skills," but is instead focused on tracking the skills gained from education, volunteering, and employment. It is therefore intended to complement other life and employability preparedness programs. It is an essential program that, if integrated by grade ten (at the latest), would allow youth to build a profile that reflects their personal and professional development, and help them to develop the skills to become self evaluators. While the curriculum is clear and straightforward, the Career Passport could benefit from a redesign to make it more visually appealing, or adapted as an online tool. If digitized, it would be even more interesting to youth, since technology is a language they all understand and can relate to.

Review 1

This Activity Book is written for a very specific audience (adolescent Malawian girls) yet is generic enough to be adapted to other country contexts. It is a good model of contextually relevant and culturally appropriate material, using a variety of active learning approaches. The directions for each activity are clearly described in simple language, making it accessible to facilitators or instructors who may not have finished secondary school. The introduction to each Topic Area provides basic background about the topic, why it is important, and what the girls can be expected to learn by participating in the Activities.

The Book seems to assume that participants have a certain level of literacy and numeracy; however, most activities ask for a volunteer to read, write or calculate. The Book could benefit from some guidance on ways to adapt the reading, writing and math activities for use with girls who are still developing these basic skills (other than to suggest ways the Activities can be used in Reflect literacy circles). This reviewer estimates the reading level of scenarios and other participant materials to be at 3rd- to 4th-grade level, and the directions for the facilitator to be at approximately 6th-grade level, using a readability analysis.

In addition, the Book would be strengthened by some general guidance and tips for the facilitator. However, because these materials are companion materials to other programs and not designed as a 'stand-alone' resource, perhaps this supporting information for facilitators is found elsewhere.

The Activity Book would be useful to a program planner who is looking for introductory, easy to understand and implement activities that introduce young people to market based concepts and personal financial planning.