Workplace Readiness Skills Overview

The Pre-ETS toolkit offers information and materials needed to teach Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS) to students with significant disabilities. By the end of the six WRS lessons, students will have an understanding of important workplace readiness skills, their value in the workplace, and how they can practice and improve their skills at home, school, and in the community.

There are twenty-two skills Virginia employers deem as necessary for success in the workplace, each falling into the three categories of workplace readiness: Personal Qualities & Abilities, Interpersonal Skills, and Professional Competencies. Rather than try to address all skills, an introductory lesson provides an overview of these three categories. The remaining lessons in this section represent various skills from these categories, emphasizing students' decision-making skills, communication skills, and their ability to work well with others.

Lesson Instructions

Prepare for the Lesson

• Before teaching each lesson, review student workbooks to provide feedback on activities from previous lessons. Gather information that can be used to engage students.

Provide Instruction

• Make sure all students have downloaded and opened the Knowledge Pre-Check and Student Workbook for the lesson before beginning instruction.
• Present the Instructor Presentation to provide instruction. A script is available in the notes section on the slides.
• As students complete their workbooks, check that they understand and are making progress.
• After the lesson, have students complete the Knowledge Post-Check.

Complete Report

• Fill out the Workplace Readiness Report (PDF) and consider sharing the information with others, such as students, families, educators, and VR counselors. It is recommended that the report be completed after Lesson 6 and Lesson 9 in the toolkit to assess the retention of skills and information provided to students with significant disabilities.