General information:
The Pre-employment workshop is an interactive, four-week workshop and presentation, that focuses on coping with workplace mental health and stress; self-compassion and self-awareness; communication techniques; practicing good decision making and goal setting; getting ready for the job search process, including resume and cover letter creation; and the interview process. The workshop concludes with workplace rights and tips on how to maintain employment once it has been attained. Participants are given the chance to be interactive during the workshop by engaging in exercises that are provided week-by-week and are given the opportunity to ask questions during the learning process. The workshop is comprised of lectures, exercises and various short video clips.
The Pre-employment Workshop is geared toward helping participants who are either new to the employment world and are preparing for employment; are seeking employment after education; and/or, are returning to employment after time away from work.
Participants only. As there are limited seats, it is requested that the participants follow through with attending the duration of the four-week workshop. Because the workshop material is interconnected and each week builds from one another, participants cannot join half-way through.
The workshop runs from 12:00pm – 4:00pm on the scheduled days.
Facilitator: Robert Neville
Workshop Breakdown:
Day One – April 8th
Pre-Employment Workshop Introductions: Guidelines/Managing Health and Wellness/Taking care of the Self/Effective Communication:
- Introductions: Land acknowledgement, guidelines and expectations, outline of the workshop.
- 8 Dimensions of Wellness: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Financial, Occupational, Intellectual, Environmental.
- Learning Styles: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic.
- Motivation and goal setting.
- The Stages of Change Model: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance.
- Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
Day Two – April 10th
Pre-Employment Workshop Introductions: Guidelines/Managing Health and Wellness/Taking care of the Self/Effective Communication:
- Self-esteem, Self-acceptance, Self-awareness, Self-compassion.
- Positive and negative self-talk and affirmations
Day Three – April 12th
Pre-Employment Workshop Introductions: Guidelines/Managing Health and Wellness/Taking care of the Self/Effective Communication:
- Tips on how to communicate effectively/barriers to communication/listening skills.
- Communication Skills: Verbal, paraverbal, nonverbal.
- Communication Styles: Passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, assertive.
- Interpersonal skills vs Intrapersonal skills
Day One – April 15th
Effective Decision Making and Goal Setting/Stress and Anger Management/Job Search Skills and Traits:
- Tips for effective decision making/Steps in decision making.
- Tips for effective goal setting/SMART(ER) goals.
- Types of goals: Short-term, long-term, lifetime goals.
- Revisiting the Stages of Change model and goal setting
Day Two – April 17th
Effective Decision Making and Goal Setting/Stress and Anger Management/Job Search Skills and Traits:
- Stress and Anger management: Managing emotions/the impact stress has on our body/biological, cognitive and behavioral.
- The processes of mental stress: Situational, Observational, Interpretation, Expectation, Behavioral response.
- Good Stress vs Bad Stress
Day Three – April 19th
Effective Decision Making and Goal Setting/Stress and Anger Management/Job Search Skills and Traits:
- Job Searching: Reasons for the job search? what type of work? When can you work? Transportation and location? What will your wage be?
- Requirements for applying for a job and obtaining employment.
- Strengths and Attitude in the workplace.
- Interests and Values in the workplace.
- Skills and Traits in the workplace.
- Hard skills vs Soft skills.
- Types of Work (Full-time/Part-time/Casual/Gig Work)
Day One – April 22nd
References, Cover Letter and Resume Creation/Mock Interview Sessions:
- What is a reference? Who can be a reference? What if I don’t have a reference?
- References: Professional and Character references.
- What are acceptable questions an employer can ask a reference?
- What is a reference letter?
- What is a targeted cover letter? Why do I need a cover letter?
- Targeted cover letter structure and etiquette.
- What is a resume? Why have a resume?
- Types of resumes: Chronological, Functional, Combination.
- Types of resumes: Master resume vs Targeted resume.
- Tips on how to write a resume, and what information to include and not include.
- How to write Skill Statements
Day Two – April 24th
References, Cover Letter and Resume Creation/Mock Interview Sessions:
- Interview Preparation: What is the purpose of an interview? Why are we anxious?
- Types of interviews: Phone, panel, one-on-one, written interview, group interview, lunch interview, etc.
- Interview etiquette.
- Preparing for interview questions: “Tell me about yourself…” “What are your strengths?” “How do you handle stress?” “Why did you leave your last job?”
- What questions are illegal for an employer to ask an interviewee during an interview? What do you do?
Day Three – April 26th
References, Cover Letter and Resume Creation/Mock Interview Sessions:
- Scheduled Mock Interview sessions: A safe place for participants to be interviewed, where learning can take place and feedback is provided.
Day One – April 29th
Workplace rights, policies, and procedures/Conflict resolution in the workplace/employee expectations and helpful tips:
- Rights and Expectations in the Workplace: Workplace rights, navigating how to research workplace rights, Workplace Health and Safety, Occupational Health Services, etc.
- Summary of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, Manitoba Employment Standards Code, etc.
- General holidays, work leaves, and how they work.
- Overtime and how it works.
- What can and cannot be deducted from a paycheck
- Workplace Culture
Day Two – May 1st
Workplace rights, policies, and procedures/Conflict resolution in the workplace/employee expectations and helpful tips:
- Handling Work-related Conflict: Conflict Resolution, outcomes, steps to resolving conflict, etc.
- What is conflict? What causes conflict? What are signs of conflict?
- Types of conflict: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Intergroup
Day Three – May 3rd
Workplace rights, policies, and procedures/Conflict resolution in the workplace/employee expectations and helpful tips:
- Making the first 90 days of employment successful: Making a first impression, negotiating salary, know your start date and end time, transportation, shifts, etc.
- Contact your EIA worker, Sara Riel Inc. Employment Specialist, etc.
- Expectations of a new employee (general and specific), probation period, disclosure of personal information to an employer, etc.
- Learning Centres and colleges in Manitoba
