Job and Social Skills Workshop for Juveniles on Probation

Introduction
The Weekend Accountability Program (WAP) was developed in order to discipline juveniles on probation. A juvenile would be a candidate for WAP if they violated the terms and conditions of their probation. The WAP takes place every Saturday at the Probation Department from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this time, juveniles perform tasks such as community service, school work, watch educational videos, listen to guest speakers, and discuss various topics. After volunteering at WAP, we decided that a job and social skills workshop would be beneficial for juveniles. We believe that after presenting this workshop, juveniles would be further educated on the skills they need to have a successful future.

Statement of Need
Youth between the ages of eight and 18 are experiencing problems with the law at an early age. There are many factors that contribute to this. The destructive patterns that can become a lifestyle for many of these adolescents can be broken if they are given the proper help, education, and resources (Probation Officer, personal communication, October 23, 2004). Van der Linde (2000) expresses that, “…education is currently a dilemma. Teachers and educational institutions obviously were not successful in preparing learners for the labor market. The wrong type of education could be almost as bad as the lack thereof” (par. 28). We believe that presenting juveniles on probation with the tools that they could use to get a job will help them with their future. Mortimer, Finch, Shanahan, and Ryu (1991) proposed that economically, employment for teenagers can, “…gain interpersonal and occupational specific skills, …develop responsibility and enhance self-confidence and self-esteem “ (par. 6). We also feel that a job will help these juveniles stay out of trouble. Currently there are not many programs in our region for juveniles to obtain this type of education (Probation Officer, personal communication, October 23, 2004). This project can help build a strong foundation for a positive lifestyle for juveniles on probation.

Description of the Intervention
We developed a workshop that addressed the following topics:
Job Skills
- How to apply
- How to fill out an application
- How to make a resume
- Phone skills
- Grooming and attire
- The actual interview
Social Skills
- Self- esteem
- Positive thinking
- Goal development

This workshop was conducted at WAP on Saturday, April 23, 2005. The workshop started at 2:15 p.m. and lasted until 3: 45 p.m. We had eleven juveniles attend. We addressed all of the topics listed above in a positive group setting. We conducted open discussions, provided and completed sample job applications and resumes, displayed mock interviews, and provided appropriate feedback on personal experiences with the job market.

Evaluation of the Intervention
We have volunteered during WAP and have learned through experience and interaction that these adolescents will benefit from this intervention. The more we educate these juveniles, the more tools they will have as they enter adulthood. When we presented the workshop, we were not prepared to have participants under the age of fourteen. This was an obstacle we had to overcome as a group. We addressed this issue by, recognizing the age gap (10-18yrs) and adjusting our workshop and strategy to be suitable for all participants. Overall, majority of the juveniles participated and provided many questions for discussion and provided input. At the end of our workshop, the juveniles appeared to be appreciative of our effort and we thanked them with pizza.

Reflections of the Project
The research and interviews that we conducted throughout the development of this workshop have been positive. Of all the interviews we conducted, we received useful feedback and a great deal of support not only from the probation officers, but from the juveniles as well. The process we went through in organizing this project has been extremely time consuming. It has tested our group skills and our time management. Not only do we believe our workshop helped the juveniles, we believe it has helped us tremendously as future social workers. As a group, we feel that if we could do this project again, we would have planned it sooner. We would have changed this because, if the group was successful, we could have presented it more than once. In conclusion, we feel all of our hard work, time, and energy spent on this project was rewarding.

References
Mortimer, Finch, Shanahan, and Ryu (1991). Part-time work and occupational value formation in adolescence. Social Forces, 74(4), 1405-1419.
Van der Linde, C. (2000). The need for relevant workforce education for the 21st Century. Education, 120(4), 696-703.