Enhance Life Skills and Workforce DevelopmentPlan of Work

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Caldwell County CES

Title:
Enhance Life Skills and Workforce Development
MAP:
Enhancing Life Skills and Workforce Development
Agents Involved:
Shane Bogle, Rhonda Jewell, Ashley Board
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family and Consumer Science
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Communications & Expressive Arts
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Financial Education - General
Situation:

In a constantly changing world, having life skills is an essential part of being able to adapt and meet the challenges of everyday life. Learning to how to communicate with others, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe a pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others – are basic to everyday life. 

The 2019 Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Statewide Report indicates that money management for families and youth and employee "soft/essential skills" training continue to be important issues statewide.  Research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center indicates 85% of job success comes from having well developed soft and people skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge.  Employers are often prepared to teach technical job skills; however, the intangible skills of being a team player, time management, and positive attitude are difficult to teach on-sight but are critical to success.

Cooperative Extension provides opportunities for youth and adults to learn basic life skills, soft/essential skills, and financial management. In a study by Olson, Croymans and Ji (2014), 4-Hers reported that participating in 1 or 2 educational opportunities influenced the development of critical thinking and decision making skills, and participating in 6 to 8 opportunities significantly increased the program’s influence by adding development of life skills in leadership, planning/organization, wise use of resources, useful/marketable skills and accepting differences.  

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Better family money management skills, such as reducing debt, increasing savings, and financial planning. 

*More effective employees and community leaders.

*Improved financial capability, resulting in better quality of life and stronger families.

*Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members

*Gain and maintain employment through life skill development

*Contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family

*Youth will utilize the skills gained through education and involvement in Extension programs to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.

*Youth become more comfortable sharing their thoughts with others.

Intermediate Outcomes:

*Individuals will practice one or more resource management behaviors resulting in increased savings or investments.

*Individuals adopt financial planning strategies for short, mid, and long-term goals.

*Individuals practice better employee "soft/essential skills."

*Improved employability through practical living skills and continued education practices.

*Youth construct a speech that has a clear introduction, body and closing.

*Youth use their communication skills to assume a leadership role in 4-H and other organizations.

Initial Outcomes:

*Change knowledge, opinions, skills,and aspirations to improve employability through work and practical living skills and continuing educations practices.

*Increase financial literacy related to savings and investments.

*Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Science Projects and programs

*Understand the decision-making process

*Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action

*Learn to read and follow instructions

*Show increased knowledge and skills related to managing available financial resources

*Change knowledge opinions, skills and attitudes to improve employability through practical living skills

*Youth create a formal presentation, speech or outline using the written outline.

*Youth research a presentation topic prior to developing a speech or demonstration.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Increased knowledge of basic life and employability skills.

Indicator: number of individuals reporting change in knowledge, opinion, skills, or aspirations

Method: pre-post survey

Timeline:  ongoing


Intermediate Outcome: Improved employability skills

Indicator: number of individuals reporting intent to utilize "soft/essential" skills in the workplace

Method: pre-post survey

Timeline: ongoing


Long-term Outcome: More effective employees and community leaders

Indicator: number of individuals employed in county

Method: Kentucky Extension Community Needs Assessment report

Timeline: yearly

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Community Members

Project or Activity: Where Does Your Money Go?

Content or Curriculum: MITT Curriculum

Inputs:  Extension Agents

Date: 2024-2025


Audience: Youth ages 5-18

Project or Activity: Communications Contest

Content or Curriculum: KY CES Resources, National 4-H Resources

Inputs- Parents, volunteers, school system, donations, Extension Agents

Date: Spring 2025


Audience:  Middle / High School

Project or Activity:  Teen Cuisine

Content or Curriculum: Teen Cuisine 

Inputs:   Extension Agents

Dates: September 2024-May 2025


Audience: Middle School Students from Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg Counties

Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Leadership Academy

Content or Curriculum:  County Directed

Inputs:  Extension Agents

Dates:  September 2024-April 2025


Audience: Teens

Project or Activity:  Livestock & Equine Industry Workforce Prep

Content or Curriculum:  Various

Inputs: Business owners, Extension Agents

Dates:  TBD


Audience:  High School, Drug Court Participants, PACS Clientele

Project or Activity:  Positive Employability

Content or Curriculum:  Positive Employability

Inputs: school, Extension Agents

Dates:  TBD


Audience:  8th graders

Project or Activity:  Middle School Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: various

Inputs:  FRYSC, Volunteers, Extension Agents

Date:  Fall 2024

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