COMBINING EDUCATION, WORK SKILLS, AND LIFE SKILLS

Because of the many risk factors faced by these families, Decker staff have found that sustained self-sufficiency requires more than learning job-related skills or passing the GED test. "Independent living skills are important. You can know PowerPoint, but if you don't know how to get up in the morning, deal with an eviction notice, etc., it doesn't matter," says DeGeorge. Instructors, therefore, have worked to incorporate core life skills into the workplace and academic curriculum. As one instructor put it, "We're working to build habits for success."

Decker's employability skills instructor, Karen Glass, draws on her fifteen years of business experience in human resources to make her courses as true-to-life as possible. Clients clock-in every morning when they arrive and clock-out every afternoon when they leave. They receive a "paycheck" each week, "earning" $7.50 an hour for work done in class, which is roughly the pay they can expect in the local job market once their training is complete. To reinforce the fact that employers value those who are professional and continue to improve their skills, students receive a "bonus" if they come to class dressed for a job interview, make improvements on their GED scores, and/or complete a training level in the computer curriculum.

Independent living skills are also taught through budgeting activities. Clients must deposit their paychecks into their Decker "checking account" and then write checks to "pay" bills based on what the real cost would be for expenses such as childcare, rent, and utilities. They also set aside small amounts for clothing and savings. If anything is left in their account after paying bills, they can go shopping three to four times a year at a store set up by Decker staff. Store items are donated, but are "sold" at real market prices. Decker clients can purchase such items as toys, clothing, and computers.

Instructors also work to reinforce each other's course content by coordinating their curricula. The budgeting activities undertaken in the employability course, for example, help adult learners to strengthen the math skills learned in Judy Moffitt's GED class. And lessons from the employability class also appear in the GED curriculum. If clients are working on writing a résumé, for example, Moffitt may draft a résumé using common GED words, inserting spelling and grammar errors for learners to find and correct. Clients further bolster their skills in the computer lab and parenting class. In the computer lab, learners use Microsoft Word to draft cover letters, Excel to create spreadsheets, and the Internet to perform job searches. Those in the parenting class take responsibility for planning activities and staying within budget for a family fun day at the end of each month.