Here’s Help Workforce Education Program
Curriculum 2016

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Here’s Help Workforce Education Program
Curriculum 2016
By Titus Ash
Director of Education
Approved By
Shauntavia Pollydore
CEO
&
Paula Wright
Chairman of the Board

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Disclaimer
The following document is the property of Here’s Help Workforce and
Community Development Corporation. This document has been prepared in
good faith on the basis of information available at the date of publication.
Content contained herein are considered proprietary and cannot be published or
redistributed without the prior written consent from the office of the chief
executive. All rights are reserved.

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Table of Contents
PURPOSE..............................................................................................................................................................5
EDUCATION PROGRAM VISION...............................................................................................................5
CONTEXTUAL FACTORS...............................................................................................................................5
EDUCATIONAL APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY..............................................................................6
GENERALEDUCATION PROGRAM..........................................................................................................6
APPLIED/PROFESSIONAL SKILL TRAINING...................................................................................................6
COMPUTER SKILL TRAINING ............................................................................................................................7
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM CURRICULUM.........................................................................10
ASSESSMENT...................................................................................................................................................11
MATERIALS......................................................................................................................................................12
EVALUATION...................................................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................................13

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Purpose
Here's Help Workforce and Community Development Corporation (HHW & CDC)
is a 501(c)3 community organization dedicated to improving the health,
educational attainment, human welfare, and opportunities for youth, adults and
families with low to moderate income in the counties of Broward and Miami-
Dade, Florida. We also assist individuals with disabilities, women who are
victims of domestic violence, and offer food pantry services for the community.
The purpose of this document is to outline the curriculum for the Here’s Help
Workforce and Community Development program. The document provides the
layout for the general education and domestic violence programs. The teaching
approach/philosophy, and method of assessment and evaluation are also
discussed. This curriculum has been reviewed and approved by the CEO of
Here’s Help Workforce and Community Development Corporation and is subject
to change based on the needs of the population served.
Education Program Vision
To produce savvy working adults and individuals with disabilities who are able
to market for, compete, obtain, and sustain gainful employment in the 21st
century workforce.
Contextual Factors
Research on workforce issues elucidates a need for more knowledgeable
entrants to the labor market. For example, according to P21--a coalition of
educators, private sector leaders, and policy makers--nearly 70 percent of
employers cite skill deficiencies among incoming graduates in applied skills,
such as professionalism and work ethic*. These skills were defined as personal
accountability and effective work habits such as punctuality, working
productively, and time management etc. In addition, a recent survey of
employers performed by Bentley University in MA., indicates that individuals are
not well prepared for the job market and do not demonstrate the levels of
excellence necessary to compete successfully in the global labor market**.

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The results of these studies indicate that there is a need for more robust training
and education initiatives to improving job skills and knowledge. These issues
are part of larger systemic issues in the US workforce as exemplified by the
efforts of the Obama administration to invest heavily in college career-readiness
programs. Workers of the future need to be competent and possess extensive
career knowledge to remain competitive in the labor market. Our education
model is designed to achieve such competence.
Educational Approach and Philosophy
The HHW & CDC education program is student centered with emphasis on group
interaction, individual reflection, and critical thinking. The underlying
philosophy is that of Vocationalism whereby emphasis is placed on preparing
students to be successful workers in the labor market. We therefore, emphasize
applied and computer skill training, which will help program participants
improve professional skills. To create an optimal learning experience for
participants, lessons are designed to encompass all 3 learning styles (visual,
auditory and kinesthetic) through the incorporation of videos, written exercises,
and direct instruction. Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) occurs
throughout with learner creation of career plans, resumes, and professional
LinkedIn profiles. GRR also takes place in self-directed activities provided in our
computer and domestic violence courses. Instructors teach in a spirit of
genuineness, acceptance, and empathy, which are shown to have positive
cognitive effects on individuals***. We believe in using positive reinforcement
to boost levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-image, which are critical for
any kind of individual success. In line with this philosophy, all program
participants receive a certificate of accomplishment upon completion of their
program. Below you will find an overview of our curriculum.
General Education Program
Applied/Professional Skill Training
The curriculum provided is intended to help prepare working adults with
practical career and workforce knowledge that will allow them to succeed in the
labor market. Individuals sourced from agency partners such as CareerSource,

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AARP, JobCorps, A&A Forklift Services and Famous Security Services will take
part in these classes, which are intended to build the professional/applied skills
of the participant. Content to be covered are as follows:
1. Landscape of Today’s Workforce
 Trends in US labor market/Future expectations.
 Key skills and competencies that individuals must develop
 Structural Breakdown US Labor Market
 Labor Market Growth Factors
2. Personal Brand and Marketing
 What is Branding?
 Being professional in the workplace
 Dress for Success.
 Work Ethic
 Digital Personal Websites, Professional Blog
 Resume’s, Cover-letters
 LinkedIn
3. Modern Interview Methods and Techniques
 Behavioral Based Interviewing, S.T.A.R. etc.
 Interview preparation techniques
 Hiring Process/Cycles
 Personality and Work Assessments.
4. Career Planning
 Why a Career Plan?
 What you need to know (structure of labor market, internal departments
and hierarchies, educational requirements etc.)
 Career Plan Completion
5. Leadership
 Leadership Theories (Great Man, Theory X and Y, Behavioral)
 Approaches to leadership (Transactional, Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez-
Faire etc.)
 Types of Power (Legitimate, Coercive, Reward)
 Leadership Vs. Management.
6. Developing Political Savvy
 What is political savvy?
 Corporate Mindset
 Office Savvy
 Best practices for workplace success.

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7. Job Search Resources and Strategies (21st Century)
 Overview of Indeed, Career Builder, Monster, Salary.com, LinkedIn. Etc.
 Best Practices at Networking Events/Fairs
 Temp/Staffing Agencies
 Executing a Job Search Strategy
8. Confidence as a Professional
 Self Confidence
 Self Efficacy
 Belief
 Best Practices
9. Resume and Cover Letter Writing
 Types of Resume’s
 Resume Writing Techniques
 Cover Letter Writing Techniques
 Employer follow-up email/notes writing techniques.
 Sample Resume Review.
Computer Skill Training
Our program is a blended model designed to help students improve their
computer savvy and administrative skill. Our curriculum uniquely blends
computer skill training and application training, which is designed to ensure that
graduates will have competence in the use of software and applications used in
today’s business environment. Consequently in addition to the training on the
Microsoft Office Suite we’ve included QuickBooks and Salesforce to our
curriculum. We believe that workforce programs must provide more than basic
computer skills programs to help adults succeed today.
1. Review of Computer Design
 Hard-Drive, Memory, Ram, CPU, Speed etc.
2. Review of Computer Vocabulary
 Gigs, Megs, Spiders, Browser, HTML, Coding, Zip, Re-boot, Desktop,
Server, etc.
3. Opening and Saving Files

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 Different Types of Files
 Opening and Saving Files
 Creating Folders
 Organizing Files
4. Introduction to Microsoft Outlook
 What is Outlook?
 Core Functions/Overview of Interface
 Outlook Modules
 Outlook Folders
 Creating and Saving Mail
 Signatures
5. Introduction to Microsoft Word
 Features- Layout, Document Elements, Thesaurus, Wizards, Fonts
 Inserting Footnotes, Page Breaks, Indexes
 Creating Documents
 Creating Templates
 Embedding Charts/Smart Art
6. Introduction to Microsoft Excel
 Spreadsheet Basics
 Opening a Workbook
 Understanding Cells and Cell Addresses
 Formula Bar
 Performing Basic Functions- Copy Cut Paste, Drag and Drop
 Creating Columns and Sheets
 Create Basic Project
 Saving Work
7. Introduction to PowerPoint
 Opening the Power Point program
 Viewing Power Point Presentations
 Creating Slides
 Changing the design of slides (apply design)
 Inserting and formatting text
 Inserting text boxes
 Moving and resizing text boxes and objects
 Inserting Clip Art
 Inserting Photographs, video clips, and sound
 Drawing your own graphics
 Changing the color of an object
 Creating transitions

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 Using the AutoContent Wizard
8. Introduction to QuickBooks
 What is QuickBooks?
 Introduction into basic features
 Setting up a chart of accounts
 Creating and printing invoices.
 Receipts and statements.
9. Introduction to Salesforce
 What is Salesforce?
 What is Chatter?
 How to find and create and manage leads?
 How to find and create accounts?
 Adding Contacts
 Pulling Reports
 Using Dashboards
Domestic Violence Program Curriculum
The purpose of the Domestic Violence program is to help participants to gain
knowledge on what domestic violence is and help them to learn how to
overcome the emotional challenges associated with such relationships. The
lessons are taught in a cooperative fashion where participation is
encouraged. Participants experience a non-judgmental supportive environment
where they are able to learn and grow. Curriculum is as follows:
1. Introduction to Domestic Violence
 What is Domestic Violence?
 Types of Abusers
 Emotional, Financial, Physical, Sexual.
 Review of each type.
2. Effects of Domestic Violence
 Emotional-impact depression, low self-esteem, shame, anger
 Behavioral-Withdrawal, flashbacks, agitation.
 Social-Isolation, Difficulty
 Physical-Nervousness, Substance Abuse, Injury.
3. Healing

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 Participants learn how to manage and cope with the impacts of DV in
their life. Emphasis is on accountability, openness, taking control, seeking
help.
4. Support Map
 Participants identify and reflect on their support network, including
friends, associates, and various agencies and programs.
5. Evaluating the Health of a Relationship
 Participants learn how to determine a positive relationship from a
negative relationship by reviewing a list of outlined characteristics.
Participants also review how a relationship is affecting their life and
aspects of the relationship that the individual would like to change.
6. Abuse Modules
 In depth reviews of the dynamics of physical, sexual, and emotional
abuse.
 Review of the cycle of abuse including: Honeymoon, Tension Building-
Stage, Blow-Up Stage, Return to Honeymoon.
7. Ending Relationships
 Participants review methods of ending and dealing with the ending of
relationships. Participants are provided with best practices on coping
with the process. Details about how to obtain an order of protection are
covered.
8. Having a Family
 Participants explore the impact of babies and children on challenged
relationships and the effect that such relationships in turn have on
children. Participants engage in self-reflective practices aimed at helping
them to determine whether growing their family is the best choice if they
are in a domestic violence situation.
Assessment
Assessments will occur via:
 “ Temperature Checks”- Periodic breaks where students will be asked if
they have questions regarding covered material.

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 In Class Projects- Participants will engage in various activities such as
resume and cover letter writing and job search to develop and test skills.
 Short quizzes- Participants will asked to complete an open book multiple-
choice exam at the end of course.
 Essay- Participants will be required to write a paragraph on what they
have learned at the end of program.
Materials
Course content is a mix of textbooks, workbooks, and curated material reviewed
and approved by the Director of Education and CEO of the HHW & CDC. Current
training texts in use for the program are as follows:
1. The Here is Help PC Manual. (Technology Classes)
2. The Midian Guide to 21st Century Career Success. (Applied/Professional Skills
Program)
* DV program content has been customized by program director.
Evaluation
The curriculum will be evaluated through end of program surveys, which will
extract information on the student’s perception of the program, and their
experience. Students will be provided with and opportunity to share perceived
areas of opportunity for the teacher/coach, and areas of improvement for the
program.
Conclusion
The primary function of HHW & CDC is to prepare and assist unemployed or
under-employed low-income persons in obtaining and maintaining
employment. HHW & CDC is committed to helping program participants who
lack the experience and skills to find and maintain a job, and are unable to
achieve self-sufficiency on their own. Our curriculum is designed to augment the

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professional knowledge and skill of our participants thereby boosting their
professional profile and savvy. By doing so we aim to make them more capable,
and attractive professionals that will be able to re-enter the work world and
function successfully. We thank you for taking the time to review this
curriculum.
References
*Source-“Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the
Basic Knowledge And Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century
Workforce”, The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families,
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Society for Human Resource Management.
** Source: The Prepared Project: Millennial’s in the Workplace – Retrieved
from http://www.bentley.edu/prepared/millennials-in-the-
workplace#sthash.L39ijVWq.dpuf
***Rogers, C.R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal
relationships, as developed in the client-centeredframework. In S. Koch
(ed.). Psychology: A study of science. (pp. 184-256). N.Y.: McGraw Hill.