Type: High School

Recommended for grades 9-12

Young people learn how to prepare for their future careers and how to develop the interpersonal skills needed for their future jobs.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

Part of JA's Career Guidance national program, the Success Skills module aims to increase young people's ability to make choices about their professional future.

EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

Through practical activities and role-playing, students develop the interpersonal skills needed to adapt to the labour market. They learn how to self-assess, set goals, create a CV and prepare for a job interview.

Together with teachers and volunteers, high school students explore different professions and determine the skill sets they wish to develop.

SKILLS DEVELOPED

1. Use specific social science concepts to structure the process of learning about and explaining facts, events and real-life contexts;
2. Apply specific social science knowledge to solve challenging situations and to explore personal development possibilities;
3. Work in teams to solve theoretical and practical problems;
4. Demonstrate active and responsible social behaviour, adapted to a changing world;
5. Take part in decision-making and problem-solving in the community;
6. Use the knowledge acquired at school for faster integration into the labour market.

ACTIVITY LIST

1. It's my life!
   Students use simulations of real-life situations to discover the importance of interpersonal skills and ways to develop them.
2. Communicate actively!
   Students simulate typical business situations that require them to act, and discuss how different interpersonal skills can affect their results.
3. Listen actively!
   Students perform role-plays and play a game to develop public speaking and active listening skills. Using verbal and non-verbal communication, they learn how to interact effectively with others.
4. Assess yourself!
   Learners work through the "Success Skills" material featuring different workplace situations, and complete the evaluation form.
5. Develop your skills!
   Students test the skills they need to secure a job – those skills that every employer expects from an employee: essential skills, personal management skills and teamwork skills.
6. Everybody wins!
   Students develop solutions to potential situations that may arise in the workplace. They choose between win/win, win/loss and loss/loss situations to mediate conflict.
7. Think smart!
   Students play a game to improve their ability to make decisions and solve problems that may arise in the workplace.
8. Build relationships!
   Students discover and test the skills they need to build and maintain interpersonal relationships, realizing how important these are for their future workplace.
9. Be influential!
   Learners understand that to influence others is to ask for their opinion, make suggestions, encourage them and express appreciation.
10. Work in teams!
    Students test their teamwork skills, team up to build a product and work together towards a common goal.
11. Sell yourself right!
    Students practice their interpersonal skills by preparing for a job interview.
12. Go for the interview!
    Students practice their interpersonal skills by being interviewed for a job.
13. What will you do with your money?
    Students identify elements of personal wealth and the link between needs and consumption.
14. Look to the future!
    Students map out their own life strategy.

"I think the program is beneficial and impactful for students. It develops their skills for success, it teaches them how to assess themselves, discover their skills and career interests, it introduces them to different careers and helps them choose one, it helps them learn practical things like how to write a cover letter or a CV, it puts them in different situations, it encourages them to work in teams and build relationships." – Camelia Monica Dinu, teacher, Ienachita Vacarescu National College, Targoviste