Pathways for Women in Manufacturing     WELCOME and GETTING STARTED ON PATHS TO SUCCESS 

1. Begin building a culture of motivation, accountability, and support
2. Make sure participants are absolutely clear about
3. What Pathways for WM entails
   1. What comes after, including tangible goals for the remainder of the workshop
   2. Reasonable expectations
   3. The responsibilities of participation in the workshop
4. Start building group dynamics, make sure participants are comfortable with each other and the staff
5. Have participants know staff’s roles for reference
6. Understand topics to be covered in the program
7. Begin to understand their strengths and how they prepare the participants for the workforce
8. Understand an overview of the industries stressed in this program and the types of jobs employed in the industries
9. Recognize the significance of WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certification

• Before this session, the facilitators should refer to the Welcome PowerPoint presentation for the session, adapt and shift it as desired, and determine who will cover each section of the presentation.
• In addition, follow the preparation directions in the Ice Breaker activity sheet.
• .A greeter should take position half an hour before the program starts at the entrance to the building, and another staff person should take position at the sign-in sheet to answer questions as needed. 
• The session should begin promptly at the time planned, to model the no-lateness policy.
• Print, prepare and gather all materials in the Materials section.

1. Sign-in sheet for the program (need to create)
2.  Pens and Name Tags
3.  Markers and Flip Chart
4.  Refreshments (pretzels, juice, coffee and tea) 
5.  Facilitator's Guide to Welcome Workshop PDF
6.  Ice breaker Activity (prepare in advance—do not place in participant guides) 
7. Welcome to WISE Pathways/Industry Overview PDF   
8.  Thumbnails for  WM Pathways/Industry Overview Presentation PDF          
9.  WM Pathways Action Plans PDF*
10.  WISE Pathways Participant Evaluation Form PDF

The WM Pathways program has created an easy way for you to get connected with your colleagues who are also running their own WM Pathways Programs.   You can ask questions, get advise, brainstorm with others, and more.   It's easy!

Email the SkillsCommons Program Director  at support@skillscommons.org  and she will add your email to the list of authorized members of the WM Pathways Leaders Community who will use on easy-to-use online communication channels to share strategies, ask questions, ask for help, give advice, and become connected with people committed to the same values and goals as you.

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Preview Online Modules: Basic Computer Skills MOOC
View & Download Materials: Basic Computer Skills Course

These learning modules introduce students to the fundamentals of fractions and operations with fractions along with the meaning and expression of percents and percentage, writing and solving problems with percents. Students will explore how numbers in scientific notation are used to solve scientific problems and explore real world situations. It also teaches students how to convert quantities and rates to different units of measurement.

Preview Online Modules: Basic Math/Pre-Algebra
Subject Matter Expert Review: Basic Math/Pre-Algebra

The Excelsior OWL is designed to provide support for writers as they begin the process of writing for college and as they transition to writing outside of their introductory writing classes or programs. The Excelsior OWL is unique in its multimedia support for writers. It offers a wide variety of interactive multimedia activities, quizzes, videos, and interactive PDFs – all designed to help writers understand important concepts about writing.

Preview Online Modules: Online Writing Lab

The first free, online, comprehensive reading lab for college-level reading. Explore the lab to learn more about the many resources we have to offer.

Preview Online Modules: Online Reading Comprehension Lab

MyMoney.gov

MyMoney.gov is the federal government's website that serves as the one-stop shop for federal financial literacy and education programs, grants and other information. MyMoney.gov is available in English and Spanish.

Financial Management Online Courses

Financial Management will provide an examination of accounting information to support managerial decision-making processes. Topics include managerial concepts and systems, various analyses for decision making, and planning and control.

Preview Online Modules: Financial Analysis |  Budgets | Financial Reports | Financial Calculations | Internal Controls
View & Download Materials: Financial Management Online Course
Subject Matter Expert Review: Financial Management Online Course

Looking for more free learning resources across a wide variety of topics?   

Explore MERLOT - a free and open online library!  Learn how to use MERLOT with this YouTube video 

Before Class:   Refreshments, Sign-In, Mingling

• Make sure everyone signs in and has a binder and a name tag. Facilitator should personally welcome everyone who enters the room, creating an atmosphere of excitement, energy, and interest.
• Please Note: Offering refreshments, dinner or lunch, snacks, and/or childcare for every session has been found to greatly increase the level of participation and success. 

Facilitator and Staff Introduction and Welcome:  10-20 Minutes

• Start off with Welcome to WM Pathways/Industry Overview PDF  Use the presentation to pace through the different sections of the workshop.
• Facilitator and other staff, as appropriate, introduce what they do for the sponsoring organization, some basic background, and their roles in the program. 
• Introductions should both serve to build relationships and also create clarity around process, so women know who to go to for different requests and interests

Introduction to Supportive Services (Optional):  0-10 minutes

If the organization is providing support services and career coaches (or alumni facilitators/mentors, if career coaches are not available), have them introduce themselves, the role of supportive services, and the supportive service process through the WISE Pathways program.

Icebreaker Activity plus Group Contract Activity:  30 Minutes

Getting to Know You: Use the ice breaker activity (advance preparation needed). See “Preparation.”

Group Contract Activity: All that is needed for this exercise is a white board, easel, or dry erase board. 

• Facilitator should remind everyone that in order to have sessions that are fulfilling to all participants the group needs certain rules.
• Note that instead of the facilitator making up rules and the group passively agreeing, it would be better for everyone if the class and facilitator collaborate to brainstorm some things to keep in mind for all sessions. 
• These norms will keep the group accountable to each other and make sure that the group has decided for itself how it wants to work. 
• Make sure to create a norm for what the response is when norms are broken, otherwise breaking norms becomes the norm.

The facilitator should then begin to field suggestions and writing them on the board. 

• Remember to write down everyone’s suggestion, if someone’s comment is confused or unclear guide them to develop a more concise or clearer version of their thoughts. 
• If conversation dies down and comments seem to lessen, give examples of group contract items, like “don’t talk while others are speaking” or “share responsibilities in keeping the space clean.” 
• When everyone has finished discussing group contract items, translate all the suggestions into a contract all participants can sign during the following session.
• It may be necessary to compile or compress certain comments into one overarching concept like “respect.”

Overview of WISE Pathways:  10 Minutes

•  Go over the topics for each session.
• Introduce the WorkKeys Assessments and WM Pathways Action Plans PDF, emphasizing these are working documents that will be completed as the program unfolds.

BREAK:   15 minutes

Core Skills: Strengths, Values and Interests: 30 minutes

Welcome the participants back from the break and continue with Welcome to WM Pathways/Industry Overview PDF  Use the presentation to pace through the different sections of the workshop. 

This session introduces participants to the concept of core skills as those skills that will carry into any industry and career field, and also gets participants to begin thinking about their strengths, values and interests.  The purpose of this is two-fold: 

1) Begin identifying the elements that will form the foundation of their career plans and

2) Re-emphasize the partnership model of drawing out women’s existing strengths and helping them better articulate and frame themselves to gain employment (as opposed to HHW getting them a job).

Over the course of the exercise, participants answer the following questions in pairs, small groups, or whole-group sharing:

•  What I like best about myself is… I am helpful to others when I… 
• People respect me when I…
• I feel proud when…
• What are your three greatest strengths? I like to spend my time…
• I am happiest when… Describe your ideal job…

It is recommended that, following a couple minutes’ reflection, this exercise feature small group discussion (groups of 3-4) to make sure that everyone is engaged.

COPS Interest Inventory:  10 Minutes

Have the participants complete either the COPS Interest Inventory at https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/career-assessment/career-occupational-preference-system/.

Industry Overviews Presentation: 25 minutes

Go through the Welcome to WM Pathways/Industry Overview PDF.  Use these videos at the appropriate slides.

• Video:  Women in Construction https://www.byf.org/resources/videos/
• Video: Women in Energy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S13l4mkbTD4&feature=emb_title

WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certification:30 minutes

 Go through the WorkKeys General Overview presentation. Stress the usefulness of this certification.

Wrap-Up, Action Plan and Evaluation: 10 minutes

 Answer any questions the participants may have then have the participants fill out the Action Plan and the Evaluation for this session.

• WM Action Plans PDF
• WM Pathways Participant Evaluation Form PDF