Teaching Sequence

50 minutes	Part A: How Do I Gain Work?
30 minutes	Part B: Hints and Tips about Gaining Work
30 minutes	Part C: Linking Volunteering and Community Service to Work
10 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: How Do I Gain Work?

Step 1.

Explain to the class that it is normal to have questions about how to do something if you have limited or no experience. This is especially true for people who will be entering the world of work. - As students will eventually find themselves working in some capacity, it is inevitable that they will have questions. Invite students to turn to the person sitting next to them, and have a quick discussion about the ‘burning questions’ they have about how to gain and keep work.

Step 2.

Give each member of the class one to two sticky-notes and ask them to write one question on each. Once they have done so, invite students to bring their questions to the front of the room and stick them on a clear space on a wall or whiteboard. If required, prompt student thinking by providing some examples of the questions that could be asked, such as:

How do I create a resume?
How do I find a job vacancy?
What do I have to do in a job interview?

Step 3.

In consultation with the class, organise the sticky notes into thematic clusters. Themes could include:

Resume/cover letter
Network/connections (not what you know, but who)
Skills - such as interview skills
Experience - transferable skills and how to get them (being more than a school/academic score)
Searching/applying for a job - how can I do this?
Recruitment strategies - how do businesses recruit employees?
Uniform/other work protocols.

Extend thinking by introducing other themes if they haven’t been raised in student questions. Distribute one more sticky note to students, and challenge them to write one more question that the new themes may have raised for them.

Part B: Hints and Tips for Gaining and Keeping Work

Step 1.

Inform students that they now have the opportunity to search online to find information and sources that can help them to know more about gaining and keeping work. Using the questions the class has written on sticky notes, students will seek out ‘hints and tips’ and share them with the class.

Step 2.

Allow students to choose two to three sticky note questions that they would like to take responsibility for finding information. If students prefer, they could work in teams. Each team could be responsible for finding information around one theme.

Step 3.

Ensure that there are enough computers/devices for groups to use to search. Suggest some websites to kick students off. Some starting points could include:

There is space on the Student Worksheet for students to note down the question they are researching, as well as any information they find.

Step 4.

Once students have completed their investigation, invite the class to briefly report their findings so far. Encourage students to ask any clarifying questions, or to make comments on their peer’s findings. Provide students with an opportunity to improve on their first attempt by noting down at least one further thing that they need to do/find out etc.

Step 5.

Allow enough time for students to improve upon what they have completed and provide students with the 'Hints and tips for gaining and keeping work' template to publish the final version of their ‘Hints And Tips For Gaining And Keeping Work’.

Encourage the class to work together to create a visual display in a public space. This will ensure that the hints and tips that students discovered can benefit other students in the school. This could involve commandeering a pin board in a hallway, or speaking to the careers coordinator about using the careers board for a period of time.

Part C: Linking Volunteering and Community Service to Work

Step 1.

As a class, watch the clip that features the community service experiences of James, a young person who was awarded a place at La Trobe University through the Aspire Program.

Aspire: James (https://youtu.be/XM6UyZiL7FI)

Link the clip to the benefits of volunteering and community service in a quick Think-Pair-Share discussion around this prompt:

How can participating in volunteering/community service help us to gain and keep work?

Step 2.

Invite students to apply their new understanding of gaining and keeping work by; searching for a position (volunteer/community service/paid or otherwise), creating a real application, and if they want to: applying for the role they find.

Ensure that there are enough computers/devices so that students can work individually or in pairs. Allow some time for students to work in class with your guidance. Encourage students to consider their new knowledge and challenge students to remember at least three things that they have learned about how to gain and keep work so that they can practise them in this challenge.

If required, write the following guiding questions on the whiteboard:

What type of role/position/job would you like to gain?
What can you do to find that type of role/position/job?
Once you have found something, how can you find out what the requirements are for applicants (skills/knowledge/age/qualifications)?
How can you demonstrate that you have the attribute required for the position?
What do you have to do or prepare before you apply?

Reflection

Students are prompted on the Student Worksheet to write a reflection.

In consideration of the tips that you researched and shared:

What are some skills that you need to work on?
How can you develop yourself in the areas you need work on?
What are some things that you would like to feel more confident in?
How can you work on that?

Extension/Homework

“How to gain and keep work: some tips”

Invite students to work together to create a two to three minute interesting and engaging video for others who may be looking to gain and keep work. The video should aim to creatively share the hints and tips that the class discovered during this lesson. Students could take inspiration from this video: FYA “How to Adult”.

Use this How To Make an Informative Video factsheet as a guide for planning and producing a short informative video.

In addition to this, encourage students to consider the following:

The video creation tool they are going to use.
Who will take responsibility for editing the video?
If a video isn’t a viable option, what other method could be used to share the information they have researched with a wider audience?

Provisional Learning Support

Encourage your students to search “La Trobe Aspire” on YouTube, and find out as much information as possible about the program, and share it with their classmates using a communication method of their choice.

Assessment

Students will reflect on the skills and knowledge developed throughout this lesson in a Career Portfolio that showcases their learning and skill development. This assessment task can be introduced at either the beginning or during the unit. Alternatively, it could be set as summative assessment at the end of the unit.

Considering Social Action

The Aspire Generation is a community of young people connected by their aspiration to make a difference through community service and leadership. They are the givers, the dreamers, the doers and the leaders who passionately pursue opportunities to address the big issues of their time. They think boldly and act responsibly and strive to leave a lasting impact on the world.

Students currently in Years 9, 10, 11 or 12 and have a passion for giving back, are eligible to be part of the Aspire Generation. Encourage students to give back by working in groups to plan and deliver an action project to make positive change in their community. The Aspire Generation: Work Studies Year 9 & 10 - Social Action lesson facilitates students to drive change through community engagement, volunteerism and leadership opportunities.

Aspire Generation - Get the Work You Want

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