job Retention Skills For At-risk Youth - Northwest · Job Retention Skills for At-Risk Youth Lee White Phase II Final Progress Report A Small Business Innovation Research Grant from

Job Retention Skills for At-Risk Youth

Lee White

Phase II Final Progress Report A Small Business Innovation Research Grant

from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant #5 R44 HD045070-04

Project Period: 08/09/2003 - 03/31/2011 Budget Period: 04/01/2008 - 03/31/2011

to Northwest Media, Inc. 326 West 12th Avenue

Eugene, OR 97401

This report is an unpublished manuscript submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for closing out the above project.

Submitted 06/29/2011

Suggested Reference:

White, L. (2011). Job retention skills for at-risk youth (Phase II). Retrieved from Northwest Media, Inc. website: http://northwestmedia.com/research/jobs-ii.pdf

Lee White, PI Job Retention Skills for At-Risk Youth

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A. General Scientific and Technological Aims

The purpose of this project was to complete the development of a comprehensive interactive multimedia training program on job retention skills for the at-risk teen. Job training programs concentrate on helping teens identify career interests or search for job opportunities. Few interventions focus on teaching youth the skills they need to keep their jobs, in spite of numerous indications that many youth entering the workforce will quickly lose their jobs. The primary reason for this is not because they don't have the practical skills to do their work but because they lack the social skills needed to successfully integrate into the workplace culture. At-risk youth, who often lack more of these basic emotional and social competencies, are especially vulnerable.

In Phase I, we covered two units of instruction on general workplace expectations and time management, and seeded a variety of issues on conflict management. Findings of the feasibility study provided convincing support for the effectiveness of the curriculum with a group of Job Corp trainees. In Phase II we added new and comprehensive units on understanding and applying social skills in the workplace. The training used a cognitive-behavioral approach to teach these skills in five critical areas of workplace experiences: time management, forming supportive social networks, becoming a key player in a company, dealing with personal beliefs and values, and identifying and reporting inappropriate behavior.

The program is intended for use by school-to-work and job-training specialists who work with youth. Our approach integrated interactive story animations delivered online or on CD/DVD, individualized student exercises, and class activities. The stories were fast-paced, dynamic multimedia animations that depicted teens exploring and modeling skills in relevant work-related situations. The media also included a variety of interactive follow-up exercises. The instructional approach was designed to inform, engage and motivate teens, model appropriate behaviors, and provide opportunities to role-play and practice skills.

The technological aim of the project was to provide at-risk youth, and the agencies that work with them on job-related skills, with an interactive multimedia training program on work-related social skills that was easy to use, dynamic, and relevant. The scientific aim of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of using an interactive multimedia delivery. The study examined whether youths in a summer work program who viewed the training improved on measures of knowledge, job readiness, self-efficacy, locus of control, and user satisfaction. B. Phase II Research Activities Product Development

The content development team outlined the specific points to be presented and identified exemplifying points of the full curriculum. A script was developed in draft form that included interactive exercises and supplemental material. An animatic was built; revised for review. The script and animatic were reviewed by consultants, one of whom suggested several additions on gender inequality and harassment. Prior to final production, a teen focus group reviewed the animatic. The revised script underwent a series of revisions to prepare it for the final production process.

The raw media materials were gathered and developed by the media team, which included: Lee White, producer and co-writer; Michael Volk, programmer; William Haldane, director and editor/lead Web animator; Kris Hansen, Web designer; and Anthony McCarthy, sound engineer.

Talent was hired for both images and voices. All images and video recordings were made and assembled. Flash technology was used to construct interactive exercises and audio and visual elements. A bonus section on harassment in the workplace was added. Handouts were written and finalized.

Instructional Content In Phase II we wrote, produced, and evaluated the complete Take This Job and Keep It! curriculum. The

course consisted of 8 chapters. Below is a brief description of the course content that describes the topics, interactive exercises, and printable handouts covered in each chapter.

Chapter I: The Interview • Part 1: What It Takes. The program host, Jonathan, gives an overview of what employers look for in

forming positive views about their new employees. Jonathan points out that new employees may encounter social conflicts in the workplace that can affect how others perceive them and their work.


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He emphasizes the importance of being able to avoid or effectively address these problems in order to keep a job. Finally, the host lets viewers know that the training involves viewing story segments, with follow-up having group discussions and interactive activities.

• Part 2: The Interview. The story begins as Boarder, an at-risk youth, meets his prospective employer for an interview at Glass Arts. The employer is impressed with Boarder’s portfolio and resume, and job application form. He explains that they are offering a minimum wage position but that he can advance in the workplace if he proves himself. He goes over the Job Description with Boarder and orients him about how to dress, what tools to bring, and what personal identification forms they need to have before he can sign the Employee Contract. Boarder is introduced to his supervisor and other employees. Before going Boarder receives the Employee Manual.

Chapter 2: The Job Description • Part 1: Job Description. Goes over what is included in the Job Description.

• Handout: Sample copy of Boarder’s Job Description at the Glass Arts studio. • Interactive Exercise: Viewers choose whether statements about the Job Description are ‘true,’

‘false,’ or ‘maybe.’ When a choice is clicked they receive instant feedback. • Part 2: At Home. Boarder shares the good news about his new job with his mother and friends,

arranges to get his tools back from them. Chapter 3: Employee Manual and Contract

• Part 1: Employee Manual. Goes over what is included in the Employee Manual and the importance of knowing about specific types of information.

• Handout: Sample copy of the Glass Arts Employee Manual. • Part 2: A Night To Remember. Boarder gets together with his skate boarding friends and one gets

into an accident. Boarder doesn’t get to bed till late and sleeps through the alarm clock. His mother has to wake him up and helps him get ready and out the door on time. He has to get washed, get dressed, eat breakfast, get a lunch ready, and gather his tools. He ended up getting to work a few minutes late, with the wrong kind of clothes for the job, and without his ID documents.

• Part 3: Contract Checklist. Goes over what is in the Employee Contract and key things to check for. • Interactive Exercise: Employee Contracts. Viewers choose from multiple-choice answers to

statements about the Employee Contract. When a choice is clicked they receive instant feedback. • Handout: Sample copy of the Glass Arts Employee Contract.

Chapter 4: Workplace Conflicts • Part 1: What’s Up with Jose? Sierra, a co-worker, shows Boarder his daily tasks and routines.

Boarder runs into his first conflicts, and they are with his supervisor, Jose. Boarder bristles when Jose gets impatient after Boarder innocently put a tool he found in his apron. Later, Jose spots Boarder taking a call on his cell phone during work time. During the lunch break, Sierra helps Boarder understand Jose and also reviews some do’s and don’ts in the workplace.

• Interactive Exercise: Conflicts. The conflicts Boarder ran into weren’t all his fault. The host asks questions about it. Viewers choose from multiple choice-answers to statements about the situation. When a choice is clicked they receive instant feedback.

Chapter 5: Time Management • Part 1: About Time. At home, Boarder’s mother goes over with him everything he needs to do to

prepare for the next day and how much time he’ll need, • Part 2: It’s About Time. The host reviews the necessary steps to being on time. • Interactive Exercise: Figuring When To Leave. The host presents each of the essential steps to

being on time and viewers respond to multiple-choice options that estimate the time they may need for each step. The program automatically computes the sum of time needed for preparation and tells the viewer.

• Interactive Exercise: On Time. Viewers choose from multiple-choice answers to questions about managing time getting to work and at the workplace. When a choice is clicked they receive instant feedback.

Chapter 6: Listening Skills • Part 1: Do This Do That. The next day Boarder arrives at work late again, but he lucks out because

it’s Saturday and the work day starts an hour later. The boss takes the opportunity to explain to him exactly what “on time” means in the workplace.

• Part 2: Hard of Hearing. The host, Jonathan, points out to Boarder that he wasn’t always using good listening skills when he was talking with the boss earlier; for example, he was “mind reading” −


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assuming what someone is thinking. Jonathan explains “paraphrasing,” a good listening skill and applies it to the interaction he had with the boss.

• Part 3: Listening Secrets. Jonathan reviews 5 rules on being a good listener: paraphrase, don’t argue, pay attention to what the speaker is saying, listen respectfully even when being criticized.

• Part 4: Do This Do That Continues. Jose gives Boarder tasks and lots of directions, but Boarder didn’t always pay close attention and Jose noticed that Boarder made some mistakes.

Chapter 7: More Listening Skills • Part 1: Let The Boss Know. Jonathan reviews how Boarder could have avoided mistakes and

conflicts by using good listening skills when receiving directions for a task. • Interactive Exercise: Repeating Back What Was Said. Viewers choose a good paraphrasing

response from multiple-choice answers, in response to directions from Jose. When a choice is clicked they receive instant feedback.

Chapter 8: I Statements • Part 1: Boxing Match. Sierra helps Boarder fix the mistakes he made. All in all Boarder survives his

first week on the job without really losing his cool. • Part 2: Putting It In Words. Jonathan reviews some instances where Boarder almost lost his cool

and how he could have used “I Statements” to better manage the situation. He explains the 4 parts of an “I Statement” and then they apply them to the situation with Sierra.

• Part 3: Making It Happen. Jonathan explains some nuances about making more effective “I Statements” for each of the 4 parts of the statement.

• Interactive Exercise: Bonus Exercises. Viewers click on any of 8 scenarios − 4 involve “I Statements” and the others involve workplace harassment. Each one presents valuable information about workplace social skills in a variety of interactive formats. For example, one presents a story of a specific job situation that involved a workplace conflict. After viewing the story, viewers participate in an interactive exercise to resolve the conflict; for example, completing an “I Statement.” Viewers are given instant feedback as they make choices in the exercise. In another scenario, viewers hear a story and have to choose whether they think it involved workplace harassment and what can be done.

Process for Developing the Media Materials

The media for the course were integrated within an audio-visual ‘skin,’ which included the following elements:

• Meeting of scriptwriter and content experts to set course objectives; gather latest proven-effective approaches and outline the course.

• Developed and wrote the script and interactive activities. • Flash animatic produced from script. • Recorded visuals and voices; developed final version of the animation. • Sweetened voices and completed Flash productions. • Developed a viewing frame for presenting the visual components of the instructional content –

photographs and bulleted text overlays from the sound track. • Developed a viewing frame that displayed the narrator in real-time audio and video. • Added a navigational ‘remote control’ panel that identified the course chapters and topics, and that

highlighted the current place in the course. Users could also select different topics or move back to different chapters. Clickable options let users convert the presentation to text-only, review FAQs, and send comments ahead.

• Developed the viewing frame with identifying markers for the site and the course title, as well as a ‘home’ button that sent users to their account page which listed the printable handouts for the course.

Focus Group with Expert Panel A focus group session was held with a panel of four experts: Della Hamada, Job Training

Supervisor/Admissions Counselor at the Looking Glass Riverfront School & Career Center in Eugene; Linda Hanneman, Crew Leader in the WIA Program at Oakridge High School; Pam Potts, WIA Program Coordinator at the Eugene School District’s Opportunity Center; and Michael Sorondo, Youth Program Coordinator at the Centro Latino Americano in Eugene.


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All four were field-based specialists working directly with youth, mentoring and monitoring them during their term of employment, for periods ranging from 2 - 12 months. Three indicated that they train youth on job retention skills and a fourth teaches a pre-employment training class. The experts were asked to list the top five problems that youth have in keeping their jobs. The top listed issues were: lack of work ethic, lack of interpersonal or soft skills, lack of academic ability/skills, lack of adult support, lack of child care, and transportation.

Experts were also asked to rate, on a 5-point scale, the importance of about 25 topics planned for inclusion in the job retention curriculum being developed. There was general agreement among the panelists that almost all of the topics to be covered in the job retention curriculum were of utmost importance.

In a follow-up discussion, the group identified a number of other job retention issues: 1) immigration − for example, the fear among young immigrant workers of their own or their parents’ legal status (i.e., lack of documentation) being discovered; 2) parenting − for example, preparing and planning for childcare, and knowing when it’s appropriate to miss work for matters related to their children; and 3) the need for individualized plans to help at-risk youth organize their various needs; for example, at-risk youth are generally poor and don’t have backups, and further, conflicts may arise between working and receiving benefits such as food stamps and child care assistance.

The group discussion turned to requirements for success. Participants stressed the importance of motivation. Related to this, youth need intensive goal planning, along with constant written and visual reminders. Youth also need to experience a wider world than their typical environment, e.g., a larger pay scale. Besides motivation, support is important for success. Job shadowing, touring workplaces, and hearing success stories from other kids can all help. In addition, youth need to learn the importance of learning from their mistakes and of not making the same mistake twice. Setting career goals is also an important ingredient of success.

Returning to problems of youth in the workplace, focus group members cited drug and alcohol issues, which they believe have become more widespread and now involve harder drugs than in the past. There was consensus that drug and alcohol problems need to be treated first. Many employers require UAs, and they may not tell prospective employees or workforce staff when there’s a dirty UA. So, if workforce staff suspect drug problems, they often avoid inviting failure by discouraging youth from applying for a position.

Panel members stressed the importance of ongoing support for youth. Too often, youth reappear in the system after slipping through the cracks. Finally, group members cited a number of background issues which can be barriers to job retention. These included several issues related to language, i.e., ESL, the use of foul language, and a lack of language facility. Also cited were learning problems, as well as issues related to culture, SES, and values.

At this point in the session, group members were shown Take This Job and Keep It! They were asked to share some of the employment disaster stories they’d seen. From these stories, the following themes emerged: (1) drug and alcohol – youth’s surprise at not getting a job due to a dirty UA; (2) pregnancy – youth are sensitized and quick to feel judged about getting pregnant; (3) race – youth are also sensitized to race issues and may feel picked on or discriminated against because of their race, and they may sometimes manipulate others by “playing the race card” to avoid responsibility; (4) communication – it’s important to control the volume and speed of your speech and, if you feel wronged, to share it with someone and get their feedback; and (5) self-esteem – this is at the core, underlying most other issues.

The session lasted approximately 1½ hour, and group members were paid $30 each for their participation. Pilot Study of Knowledge Measure A focus group was conducted with eight youth to test the difficulty level of the items in the Job Retention Knowledge Questionnaire. Participants were asked to complete the original version of the questionnaire which had 41 true-false and multiple-choice items. The criterion level for determining whether an item was too easy was if no more than 6 of the 8 participants answered it correctly. In all, 15 items were deemed too easy and were dropped, leaving 26 items in the final version.

Technical Development All audio was recorded in-house, in studio sessions according to previously approved scripts. The sound

engineer cleaned, sweetened, filtered, and edited audio tracks on Cool Edit Pro 1.2a. Sound foley added to the soundtrack.


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The Flash animator used final audio files and graphic elements to create a first rough-cut according to the script, using Macromedia Flash MX software. The entire team then reviewed this version and made appropriate revisions until reaching final approval.

The bulk of the production process was conducted using the Flash environment for quick turnaround for Web and CD production and revision. Once approved, all image files were compressed for bandwidth economy and authored for Web. The graphical elements – navigator, buttons, etc. – were developed and finalized for Web usage.

Project Evaluation The purpose of the study in Phase II was to evaluate the effectiveness of the completed Take This Job and Keep It! interactive multimedia (IMM) curriculum with a group of at-risk youth. Specifically, we wanted to assess whether the IMM training format was effective in improving knowledge of workplace social skills, self-efficacy, job readiness, and locus of control − key predictors of job retention. We also assessed participant satisfaction with the IMM delivery. Participants Youth were recruited via WorkOne, a partner agency of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (IDWD) that works with employers and employees to ensure workplace success. The agency offers a variety of programs for young, minority, disabled, and at-risk workers, including: resume development, career planning, scholarship, interview coaching, job search assistance, skills evaluation, and computer skills. For the current study, we recruited participants in a summer work program, The Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps (YHCC). The program provides youth opportunities to work outdoors and improve Indiana’s state parks, forests, reservoirs, nature preserves, wildlife and recreation areas, and historic sites. Work sites are located in every county in the state. For our study, the 5 largest work sites − Bedford, Monroe, Linton, Owen, and Patoka − were selected to simplify the logistics of implementing the study. Our final sample included 124 participants, 68 in the treatment group and 56 in the control group; 70% of all participants were female. Racially, the sample was about 92% White, 2% Black or African American, and 3% biracial. In terms of ethnicity, none of the sample identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Participants had a mean sample age of 21.1 years. With reference to education, 33% reported having completed high school or a GED; 46% some college; and 5% had a college degree. In response to how much previous experience working they had, 79% had more than one year and the rest had one year or less. Finally, 31% reported receiving previous training on keeping a job (see Table 1 in Appendix B). Participation in the study was voluntary. Participants received a pen drive for completing their participation in the study; a raffle was also held and 2 participants received a $25 gift certificate at a local department store. Procedure Information about the study and the opportunity to participate in it were announced by the Training Coordinator at each of the participating sites to groups of youth participating in the YHCC summer work programs. Those interested in participating were asked to read and sign the consent form. After consenting to participate, all participants completed a set of pretest questionnaires. To control for extraneous sources of variability as well as threats to internal validity, we randomly assigned those who agreed to participate to either a treatment condition or a comparison condition. Assignment to group was also contingent on individual schedules and availability during the study period, but since these daily schedules were not in any way a function of individual characteristics it did not affect randomization. Participants in the treatment group viewed the Take This Job and Keep It! curriculum on CD in small groups of 10-15 at their work site location. A conference room with a computer and large TV monitor was reserved at each site for the study. The intervention spanned 3 hours of instruction delivered in one session. Participants completed the pre- and posttest questionnaires just before and after the intervention. Participants in the control group participated in their usual work activities, but in addition completed the pretest questionnaire battery in the morning and then the posttest questionnaire battery at the end of the work day, or depending on schedules, at the very beginning of the next work day. The pretest battery for both groups included the following questionnaires (see descriptions below): Background Information, Knowledge of Job Retention and Workplace Social Skills, Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, and Job Readiness. The same questionnaires were administered at posttest to both groups, except for Background Information; and in addition the treatment group completed a measure on User Satisfaction.


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Measures (All study measures were paper-and-pencil, self-report measures, and copies are included in Appendix A.) 1) Background Information. A 7-item background information questionnaire was developed by project staff

and used to obtain information regarding participants’ gender, age, ethnic and racial background, education, previous job experience, and previous training on job retention.

2) Knowledge of Job Retention and Workplace Social Skills. A 26-item knowledge questionnaire developed in-house that assessed participants’ knowledge of job retention and workplace social skills. Items were true-false and multiple-choice questions and covered job expectations, dress and behavior in the workplace, workplace policies and documents, social-communication skills (listening skills, “I” statements), time management, and harassment.

3) Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (NSLCS). The NSLCS (Nowicki & Strickland, 1973) is a 40-item rating scale that assesses an individual’s perception of a connection between his or her action and its consequences. Individuals respond to 40 questions by indicating “yes” or “no.” Items are scored so that lower scores indicate a sense of control that is more internalized.

4) Self-Efficacy Scale (Pearlin, et al., 1981). A 7-item measure of attitudes and self-perceptions about problem-solving competence. Participants respond to a series of statements using a rating scale of 1 (that’s really me) to 4 (that’s not me at all).

5) University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA), (formally called the Stages of Change Questionnaire [SCQ: McConnaughy, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1983]). The URICA is the most widely studied measure of readiness for change and can be used across a variety of problems (Cohen et al., 2005). The URICA is a 32-item 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). It is comprised of four, 8-item subscales yielding Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, and Maintenance scores. While originally developed for use with adults, the URICA has some support regarding its appropriateness for use with adolescents (Cohen et al., 2005). The URICA is thought to be a valid measure of the stages of change with acceptable internal consistency for the various scales (ranging from .79 to .84) (McConnaughy, DiClemente, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1989). The items were adapted so that they reflect readiness for work and transition to independent living rather than readiness to solve emotional problems in counseling. For example, one item that states “I am doing something about the problems that had been bothering me” was changed to “I am doing something about learning to live on my own.”

6) User Satisfaction. Respondents were asked to rate 10 statements about the value of the instruction and the media delivery on a scale of 1 to 4, where 4 is the most favorable. Respondents also were asked what age the program was made for and to give an overall opinion of the program using a rating scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most favorable.

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were tested: • We anticipate that the treatment group will increase significantly more than the comparison group in

knowledge, locus of control, self-efficacy, and job readiness, from pretest to posttest. • We anticipate that participants will have reasonably high satisfaction scores. Preliminary Analyses Means and standard deviations for all measures can be found in Table 2 (Appendix B); Table 3 (Appendix B) contains correlations between measures. Independent samples t tests and/or chi-square analyses on demographic information from the Background Information questionnaire were conducted to detect any differences between the intervention and control groups (see Table 1 in Appendix B). No significant differences were found between the groups. Reliability and Stability of Measures The internal consistency of the scales used was examined using Cronbach’s Alpha. High internal consistency was found for all scales at posttest: Knowledge (α = .70), Locus of Control (α = .83), Self-Efficacy (α = .77), and Job Readiness (α = .76). Analysis Our study used a pretest/posttest design to test whether the treatment group increases in knowledge, locus of control, self-efficacy, and job readiness, significantly more than the comparison group. Because we also


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used random assignment to groups, this experimental design was able to adequately control for all main threats to internal validity (Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). The hypotheses were tested using four Repeated Measures ANOVAs, one for each outcome measure (Knowledge, Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, and Job Readiness), with a between-subject variable for group (treatment, control), a within-subject variable for time (pretest, posttest), and a time x group interaction. The interaction tested whether the improvements across time were different between the two groups. Assumptions of the model include normally distributed residuals and homogeneity of variance between treatment groups at each time point. Normality was tested by visual inspection of the histogram of the residuals along with assessing skewness and kurtosis values of residuals from each model. Levene’s test was used to assess homogeneity of variance. Residuals for Knowledge were normally distributed, while Self-Efficacy was modestly skewed to the left (s=-.87 pre and s=-.81 post), and Locus of Control was modestly skewed to the right (s=.98 pre and s=.99 post). Job Readiness had the highest kurtosis value (k=2.7 pre, k=2.2 post). Because our models are robust to data that are modestly skewed (-2 to 2) where sample sizes are large (N=125), the F-tests in our analyses are still trustworthy. Levene’s test was insignificant for all four outcomes, satisfying the assumption of homogeneity of variance. An alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine significance in all statistical tests. Results Results indicate a significant interaction between time and group for the Knowledge scale (F(1, 123)=8.046, p=.005), where the treatment group’s Knowledge scores improved significantly more than the control group, which remained unchanged. The treatment group was observed to improve slightly more in Self-Efficacy than the control group in this data, but the difference was not statistically significant (p’s>.05). No significant improvements were detected on Locus of Control or Job Readiness. User Satisfaction The average satisfaction score among participants in the treatment group was a mean of 2.82 with a standard deviation of .74, on a 4-point scale (see Table 4 in Appendix B). The highest ratings were for the program’s entertainment quality (M=2.89), ease of understanding (M=3.62), recommendation to others (M=2.81), cartoon characters (M=3.05), and animation (M=2.81). The lowest satisfaction was with the program’s coolness (M=2.38); however, this and all other scores were at least moderate. Discussion

The development effort in Phase II produced an attractive and comprehensive multimedia training curriculum for at-risk teens and young adults on job retention. All milestones were successfully achieved. The curriculum was fully programmed, performance-tested, and launched on our Vstreet.com site. The content and look of the course were fully consistent with the high quality standard of other programs already available on Vstreet.com, and this program similarly included an array of video and visual montage, interactive exercises, and printable handouts to deliver state-of-the-art information to youth on independent living skills.

Entering the job market is a critical milestone for youth that can create indelible associations that stay with them throughout their work history. It is imperative, therefore, to create positive first experiences for youth that are well-grounded in realistic expectations about the work world, and that provide them with a basic set of social skills that can help them navigate through complex kinds of interactions with co-workers, supervisors, and customers. Jobs are not easily found in today’s job market, thus each must also be valued as an important opportunity for financial support and advancement in the job market. The greatest liability that youth encounter in their first jobs is not a lack of skills to accomplish their work, but a lack of knowledge about how to behave on the job. Youth unfamiliar with the work environment do not fully realize that the rules and expectations for social behavior change in the workplace, and that these are inextricably linked to how others in their chain of command will evaluate their performance. Most often, youth have a presumption that, as long as they are doing their work, they can behave according to their own set of values and sensibilities that they bring from home, school, and their community. Youth’s sense of punctuality, how they use cell phones, how they respond to conflict, their capacity to take direction, etc., may go unchallenged in other contexts but then may create unexpected and unfair responses that put their employment in jeopardy. Thus, a major goal of the current training was to impart a basic knowledge of job-related social skills to youth that they can use to survive and


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last in their chosen jobs. Our main finding supported the effectiveness of the training in this regard. Youth who participated in the training showed significant improvements in their knowledge of job-related protocol and social skills.

Findings on two of the three other outcome variables showed improvements for the treatment group from pre to post, but did not clearly distinguish between treatment and control group. For self-efficacy, youth in the treatment group showed relatively greater improvement than those in the control group but this did not reach significance. Both groups showed improvements in the direction of a greater internal locus of control, and the results for job readiness trended in the opposite direction than expected. Several reasons may help explain the lack of findings. First, the sample population was older than the ideal target population for this intervention, with an average age just over 21 years. Second, an unexpectedly large proportion of the control group (41.1%) reported having received job retention training previously. This was almost twice as large as the treatment group (23.5%) and therefore may have suppressed differences. Finally, the scope and duration of the intervention was short-term and these latter outcome variables tap into traits that are harder to change and likely require a confluence of interventions and time to more deeply affect.

Overall, however, the findings indicate an ameliorative effect on youth, strengthened by positive satisfaction ratings—something which is not easy to accomplish with at-risk youth.

Appendix A – Phase II Measures

MY BASICS 1. How old are you? (fill in): years 2. Are you...

� Male or � Female 3. What is your ethnic background? (check all that apply): � Hispanic or Latino � Not Hispanic or Latino � Unknown 4. What is your racial background? (check all that apply):

� White � Black or African American � American Indian � Native Hawaiian or Other or Alaska Native Pacific Islander � Asian � Unknown � Other: 5. What is the highest level of school you completed? (check one):

� 9th grade

� 10th grade

� 11th grade

� Taking GED

� Finished high school or GED

� Completed some college

� Completed a college degree (AA, BA, BS) 6. About how much experience have you had as a paid employee? (check one):

� � � � � None 6 months 1 year 2 years 3 years or more 7. Have you had any training on how to keep a job?

� Yes � No

TAKE THIS JOB AND KEEP IT! TAKE 2 KNOWLEDGE

Read each question and circle the ONE answer you think is correct.

1. When starting a new job it’s best to find out what duties and skills are expected of

you from: a. A co-worker. b. The Employee Manual. c. The Job Description. d. Your supervisor.

2. The best policy for dressing for the first day at work is to:

a. Wear your best clothes. b. Ask your co-workers. c. Ask your supervisor. d. Ask during an interview.

3. Regular reviews of your job performance include: a. Whether your supervisor likes you. b. If you did what was in your Job Description. c. If you did what was in the Employee Manual. d. All of the above.

4. A cover letter is useful for: a. Explaining why you best fit the job being announced. b. Giving an employer your contact information. c. Creating a good first impression. d. All of the above.

5. You should expect to get the Employee Manual before being hired.

True. False.

6. The best place to find out about employee benefits such as time off and holidays is

from: a. The Employee Manual. b. The Job Description. c. Your supervisor. d. A co-worker.


7. The best place to find out about your official pay is from:

a. The Employee Manual. b. The Job Description. c. The Employee Contract. d. Your supervisor.

8. The best place to find out the rules about using cell phones at work is from: a. The Employee Manual. b. The Job Description. c. The Employee Contract. d. Your supervisor.

9. If you feel that your supervisor is being grumpy with you one day, it’s best to:

a. Report him or her to the company’s Human Relations department. b. Let the supervisor know he or she is annoying you. c. Keep track of how many times it happens. d. None of the above.

10. A good strategy for getting to work on time is figure out the time you need to finish

your morning routine… and then set the alarm: a. 10 minutes earlier. b. 1 hour earlier. c. The earlier the better. d. Exactly the amount of time you need to get ready.

11. The best way to find out when to show up for work is:

a. A co-worker. b. Your Work Schedule. c. Know the store hours. d. All of the above.

12. A good way to know how to do your job correctly is to:

a. Listen closely and don’t ask questions. b. Study the Employee Manual. c. Ask questions. d. None of the above.

13. In general, supervisors are okay with lower productivity if the quality of your work

meets the workplace standards. True. False.


14. It’s usually not considered an official “lateness” if you show up for work within 5

minutes of your job’s stated start time. True. False.

15. Paraphrasing: a. Is a listening technique for understanding directions. b. Repeats back what was said in your own words. c. Helps others understand what you understand. d. All of the above.

16. When being given directions, good listening involves:

a. Repeating all the key points. b. Repeating what you heard in as much detail as possible. c. Repeating only those points that are most important to you. d. None of the above.

17. “I Statements” are: a. A sure way to start an argument. b. Used to avoid misunderstandings. c. An active listening skill. d. Signs of a weak character.

18. An effective statement expressing your feelings to someone should include: a. How the other person feels. b. Why you felt what you did in a situation. c. Empathy for the other person. d. All of the above.

19. When stating your feelings to someone, saying “You make me mad when you…” is a

good start because it clearly tells the other person what the problem is. True. False.

20. If you feel you are being harassed at work, you should:

a. Report it to your boss. b. Write down what happened. c. Let your boss deal with the problem. d. All of the above.


21. If you feel angry because you think someone put you down, an appropriate way to express that to the other person would be:

a. “You make me angry when you criticize me…” b. “I feel put down when what I say isn’t respected…” c. “I am so angry right now…” d. “It makes me angry when you criticize me…”

22. If your boss starts to make you feel like you are going to lose it, it’s best to: a. Tell him or her you need to take a break. b. Get your feelings off your chest. c. Tell your boss what he or she is doing that is making you mad. d. All of the above.

23. If you feel like you are going to lose your temper with a co-worker and you need to take a break, it’s more respectful to ask the other person for his or her permission first.

True. False.

24. Which would be the most effective statement to express your feelings to your boss if

he gets irate with you about your work? a. Sorry, I’m doing the best I can. b. I feel bad when you criticize me because I try so hard. c. I feel disappointed when my work doesn’t meet others’ expectations

because I take my work seriously. d. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t criticize my work.

25. When you take a break from a conflict with a co-worker, it’s best if you spend that

time: a. Thinking positive thoughts about the situation. b. Staying busy. c. Thinking about doing what the other person wants. d. All of the above.

26. If you and another person are hired to do the same job that neither of you has done

before and you get lower pay because you are younger, that is a form of workplace harassment.

True. False.

LOOKING AT MY WORLD Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale

Reprinted with modifications with author’s permission (NWM, 2010)

This is about you and how you think about your world. For each question check the answer that describes how you feel.

There are no right or wrong answers.

Yes No

1. Do you think that most problems will fix themselves if you just don’t mess with them?

2. Do you think you can stop yourself from catching a cold? 3. Are some people just born lucky?

4. Is it really important for you to get good grades?

5. Do you often get blamed for things that just aren’t your fault?

6. Do you believe that if someone studies hard enough you

can pass any subject in school?

7. Do you feel that it isn’t worth it to try hard because things never turn out right anyway?

8. Do you feel that if things start out well in the morning it’s

going to be a good day no matter what you do?

9. Do parents listen to what their children have to say? 10. Does wishing it make good things happen?

11. When you get punished does it seem it’s for no good reason

at all?

12. Do you find it hard to change a friend’s opinion?

13. Do you think that cheering helps a team to win more than luck?

14. Is it nearly impossible to change your parents’ mind about

anything?

For each question check the answer that describes how you feel.

15. Should your parents allow you to make most of your

decisions? 16. When you do something wrong is there very little you

can do to make it right? 17. Are most people just born to be good at sports?

18. Are most other people your age stronger than you are?

19. Do you feel that one of the best ways to handle most

problems is just not to think about them?

20. Do you have a lot of choice in deciding who your friends are?

21. If you find a four-leaf clover do you believe it might

bring you good luck?

22. Does doing your homework make a big difference in the kind of grade you get?

23. Do you feel that when someone your age decides to hit

you, there’s little you can do to stop him or her?

24. Have you ever had a good luck charm?

25. Does the way you act influence whether or not people like you?

26. Will your parents usually help you if you ask them to?

27. When people are mean to you , is it usually for no

reason at all?

28. Can you change what might happen tomorrow by what you do today?

29. If something bad is going to happen, can you do

anything to try and stop it?

For each question check the answer that describes how you feel.

30. Can people get their own way if they just keep trying?

31. Is it useless to try to get your own way at home?

32. Do good things happen because of hard work?

33. When someone your age wants to be your enemy,

is there not much you can do to change matters?

34. Is it easy to get your friends to do what you want them to?

35. Do you have little to say about what you eat at home?

36. When someone doesn’t like you, is there not much you can do about it?

37. Is it almost useless to try in school because most

other people are just plain smarter than you?

38. Are you the kind of person who believes that planning ahead makes most things go better?

39. Do you think you have little to say about what

your family decides to do?

40. Is it better to be smart than lucky?

PERSONAL MASTERY SCALE Based on Self-Efficacy (Pearlin, et al., 1981)

Read each statement and circle the number you think describes you the best.

That’s That’s really not me me at all

1. There is really no way I can solve 1 2 3 4 some of the problems I have. 2. Sometimes I feel that I’m being 1 2 3 4 pushed around in life.

3. I have little control over the 1 2 3 4 things that happen to me.

4. I can do just about anything I 1 2 3 4

really set my mind to.

5. I often feel helpless in dealing 1 2 3 4 with the problems of life.

6. What happens to me in the future 1 2 3 4 mostly depends on me.

7. There is little I can do to change 1 2 3 4 many of the important things in my life.

JOB READINESS


completely completely disagree agree

1. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have any attitudes or behaviors about work that need changing. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I think I might be ready for some

self-improvement. 1 2 3 4 5

3. I am doing something about learning to live on my own. 1 2 3 4 5

4. It would be worthwhile to work on

building my job readiness skills to live on my own. 1 2 3 4 5

5. I'm not the problem here. It doesn't make

much sense for me to learn about attitudes and behaviors about work. 1 2 3 4 5

6. It worries me that I might slip back on

some job-readiness skills I have already changed, so I am here to seek help. 1 2 3 4 5

7. I am finally doing some work on job

readiness skills. 1 2 3 4 5

8. I've been thinking that I might want to change something about myself. 1 2 3 4 5

9. I have been successful in working on

job readiness skills but I'm not sure I can keep up the effort on my own. 1 2 3 4 5

10. At times I have problems with attitudes

and behaviors about work, but I'm working on it. 1 2 3 4 5

11. Being here is pretty much a waste of

time for me because problems with work don’t have to do with me. 1 2 3 4 5



12. I'm hoping this training will help me to better understand myself. 1 2 3 4 5

13. I guess I have faults, but there's

nothing that I really need to change. 1 2 3 4 5

14. I am really working hard to change. 1 2 3 4 5

15. I have problems with work attitudes and I really think I should work at it. 1 2 3 4 5

16. I'm not following through with what I

know about good work attitudes and behavior, so I think training will prevent me from failing on the job. 1 2 3 4 5

17. Even though I'm not always successful in

changing, I am at least working on my job readiness skills. 1 2 3 4 5

18. I thought once I had resolved my work

attitudes and behaviors I would be free of them, but sometimes I still find myself struggling with them. 1 2 3 4 5

19. I wish I had more ideas on how to solve

my attitudes and behaviors about work. 1 2 3 4 5

20. I have started working on my learning job-readiness skills but I would like help. 1 2 3 4 5

21. Maybe this training will be able to help

me. 1 2 3 4 5

22. I may need a boost right now to help me maintain the job-readiness changes I've already made. 1 2 3 4 5

23. I may be part of the problem, but

I don't really think I am. 1 2 3 4 5



24. I hope that this training will have some good advice for me. 1 2 3 4 5

25. Anyone can talk about changing;

I'm actually doing something about it. 1 2 3 4 5

26. Talk about job readiness is boring.

Why can't people just forget about their work-related problems? 1 2 3 4 5

27. I'm here to prevent myself from having

any work-related problems. 1 2 3 4 5

28. It is frustrating, but I feel I might still have work-related problems that I thought I had resolved. 1 2 3 4 5

29. I have worries but so does the next

guy. Why spend time thinking about the future? 1 2 3 4 5

30. I am actively working on my job readiness

skills so I can live independently. 1 2 3 4 5

31. I would rather cope with my faults than try to change them. 1 2 3 4 5

32. After all I had done to try to change my

attitudes and behaviors about work, every now and again it comes back to haunt me. 1 2 3 4 5

SATISFACTION


Not at all Totally Overall, I thought the program was:

1. Entertaining 1 2 3 4 2. Cool 1 2 3 4 3. Easy to understand 1 2 3 4 4. Useful for me 1 2 3 4 5. Training that I would recommend

to others 1 2 3 4

I liked:

6. The story 1 2 3 4 7. The animations 1 2 3 4 8. The cartoon characters 1 2 3 4 9. The use of animation with humans 1 2 3 4 10. The bonus stories 1 2 3 4

What age level do you feel this program is made for? (check one)

Q Under 14 Q 16 - 17 Q 14 - 15 Q 18 and over My overall opinion of the program (1 is the worst and 10 is the best): (circle one) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 What else would you like to say about the program?

Appendix B – Tables

Table 1 Sample Demographics

Control Group (n =56)

Treatment Group

(n =68 )

Total Sample (N =124)

Item % N % n % N

Gender Female 75 42 66.2 45 70.2 87 Male 25 14 33.8 23 29.8 37 Ethnic backgrounda Hispanic or Latino 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 Not Hispanic or Latino 80 44 93.9 62 87.6 106 Unknown or not reported 20 11 6.1 4 12.4 15 Racial background White 92.9 52 91.2 62 91.9 114 Black or African American 3.6 2 1.5 1 2.4 3 American Indian or AK Native 0.0 0 1.5 1 0.8 1 Asian 0.0 0 1.5 1 0.8 1 More than one race 1.8 1 4.4 3 3.2 4 Unknown or not reported 1.8 1 0 0 0.8 1 Highest level of school completed Some High School 17.9 10 14.7 10 16.1 20 High School Degree or GED 41.1 23 26.5 18 33.1 41 Some College 35.7 20 54.4 37 46.0 57 College Degree 5.4 3 4.4 3 4.8 Experience as a paid employee None 7.3 4 1.5 1 4.1 6 months 9.1 5 7.5 5 8.2 10 1 year 5.5 3 10.4 7 8.2 10 2 years 20.0 11 10.4 7 14.8 18 3 years or more 58.2 32 70.1 47 64.8 79 Previous trainings on how to keep a job?a

Yes 41.1 23 23.5 16 31.5 39 No 58.9 33 76.5 52 68.5 85 Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

Age in Years 21.23 1.66 21.03 1.76 21.12 1.71

a. Significant difference between the two groups was found at .05 level using Pearson Chi-Square test.

Table 2

Mean Performance on Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control, and Readiness to Change, by Group and Pre/Post Status

Study Group

Treatment Group Control Group Total

Mean

Standard

Deviation Valid N Mean

Standard

Deviation Valid N Mean

Standard

Deviation Valid N

Pretest Knowledge .55 .10 69 .57 .12 56 .56 .11 125

Posttest Knowledge .61 .17 69 .57 .16 56 .59 .16 125

Pretest Self-Efficacy 3.36 .59 69 3.30 .56 56 3.33 .57 125

Posttest Self-Efficacy 3.45 .53 68 3.32 .58 56 3.39 .55 124

Pretest (%

Correct/External), 40-

item Locus of Control

10.179 5.121 69 9.417 5.374 56 9.838 5.229 125

Posttest (%

Correct/External), 40-

item Locus of Control

9.777 5.829 69 8.866 5.598 56 9.369 5.722 125

Pretest Readiness to

Change

6.98 2.05 68 7.16 1.79 56 7.06 1.93 124

Posttest Readiness to

Change

6.76 2.29 68 7.28 2.18 55 6.99 2.25 123

Tabl

e 3

Cor

rela

tions

Bet

wee

n A

ll M

easu

res

in P

re- a

nd P

ostte

sts

C

orre

latio

ns

P

rete

st

Know

ledg

e

Pos

ttest

Know

ledg

e

Pre

test

Sel

f-

Effi

cacy

Pos

ttest

Sel

f-

Effi

cacy

Pre

test

(%

Cor

rect

/Ext

erna

l

), 40

-item

Loc

us

of C

ontro

l

Pos

ttest

(%

Cor

rect

/Ext

erna

l

), 40

-item

Loc

us

of C

ontro

l

Pre

test

Rea

dine

ss to

Cha

nge

Pos

ttest

Rea

dine

ss to

Cha

nge

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

1.6

64**

.116

.079

-.3

71**

-.333

**-.1

19-.1

09

Sig

. (2-

taile

d)

.0

00.1

96.3

82

.000

.000

.187

.231

Pre

test

Kno

wle

dge

N

125

125

125

124

125

125

124

123

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

.664

**1

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.193

* -.4

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**.0

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51

Sig

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.000

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32

.000

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.572

Pos

ttest

Kno

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N

125

125

125

124

125

125

124

123

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

.116

.168

1.6

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-.394

**-.3

80**

-.272

**-.2

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Sig

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.196

.061

.0

00

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.015

Pre

test

Sel

f-Effi

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N

125

125

125

124

125

125

124

123

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

.079

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*.6

14**

1 -.3

45**

-.445

**-.1

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77

Sig

. (2-

taile

d)

.382

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.000

.0

00.0

00.1

06.0

51

Pos

ttest

Sel

f-Effi

cacy

N

124

124

124

124

124

124

123

122

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

-.371

**-.4

42**

-.394

**-.3

45**

1.7

49**

.148

.128

Sig

. (2-

taile

d)

.000

.000

.000

.000

.000

.102

.158

Pre

test

(%

Cor

rect

/Ext

erna

l), 4

0-

item

Loc

us o

f Con

trol

N

125

125

125

124

125

125

124

123

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

-.333

**-.4

54**

-.380

**-.4

45**

.749

**1

.074

.084

P

ostte

st (%

Cor

rect

/Ext

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l), 4

0-

item

Loc

us o

f Con

trol

Sig

. (2-

taile

d)

.000

.000

.000

.000

.0

00

.415

.356

N

125

125

125

124

125

125

124

123

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

-.119

.022

-.272

**-.1

47

.148

.074

1.8

09**

Sig

. (2-

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d)

.187

.812

.002

.106

.1

02.4

15

.000

Pre

test

Rea

dine

ss to

Cha

nge

N

124

124

124

123

124

124

124

122

Pea

rson

Cor

rela

tion

-.109

.051

-.219

*-.1

77

.128

.084

.809

**1

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. (2-

taile

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.231

.572

.015

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58.3

56.0

00

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ttest

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N

123

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123

122

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**. C

orre

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sig

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*. C

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t the

0.0

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vel (

2-ta

iled)

.

Table 4 Means and Standard Deviations for Course Satisfaction Items and Scale – Treatment Group

M

SD

n

Overall, I thought the program was:

Entertaining. 2.89 .91 37

Cool. 2.38 .92 37

Easy to understand. 3.62 .72 37

Useful for me. 2.53 1.11 37

Training that I would recommend to others. .

2.81 .94 37

I liked:

The story. 2.59 1.07 37

The animation. 2.84 1.04 37

The cartoon characters. 3.05 1.05 37

The use of animation with humans. 2.81 1.10 37

The bonus stories. 2.65 1.03 37

Documents

job Retention Skills For At-risk Youth - Northwest · Job Retention Skills for At-Risk Youth Lee White Phase II Final Progress Report A Small Business Innovation Research Grant from