A series of workshops designed to help job seekers overcome the psycho-social barriers many face to finding and maintaining work.

Who would the Program Benefit?

Jobseekers who:

•have low self esteem or confidence in their abilities

•do not understand their barriers to finding work

•do not realise their skills, abilities and knowledge

•have poor time management

•have high stress levels due to unemployment and financial constraints

•have poor communication skills

•may have potential psycho-social issues

Thus the Program becomes particularly relevant for many VLTUEs (Very Long Term Unemployed) and mature age job seekers. In fact, most people find they can develop in many areas the Program covers, so it can be beneficial for staff as well as job seekers. Even you can learn to be better at these skills and improve your workplace relations, social life, and how you view yourself.

Method of Delivery

The workshop series is based on participative learning techniques. Methods will include group discussion, activities, simulation exercises, and short lectures. Audio visual and print material will be utilised. Workshop size is between 3 to 8 participants, with a desired 5 person participation level. The Program is a 5 x 2 hour session course over 5 continuous weeks at the same time and place each week.

Materials

The course is best given in a well-lit and aired room with enough tables and chairs for participants. A whiteboard is necessary. All other materials are provided by the course presenter. Participants of the course should bring a pen and pencil. They shall receive a course booklet for activities and skill development education. A course feedback sheet will also be provided for participants.

Course Content

Learning Outcomes

As a result of this Program, participants should be able to:

•Realise they are in control of their confidence

•Realise when they are using negative automatic thoughts

•Be able to distract and dispute the negative automatic thoughts

•Understand ways of increasing their confidence

•Be more aware of their skills, abilities and knowledge

•Be more aware of their potential barriers to finding work

•Be able to use motivation and confidence techniques to overcome these barriers

•Understand and manage more effectively lifestyle changes that occur in finding work

•Understand the components of communication

•Understand the levels of communication

•Develop their listening skills

•Perform more effectively in interviews

•Become more aware of their time use

•Understand and control time wasters

•Understand when they concentrate at their best

•Develop a personalised time management plan

•Understand where stress originates from

•Utilise effective relaxation methods

•Develop positive self-talk messages for themselves

Overall, those who participate and complete the Job Ready Program should find that they have a renewed self-confidence in their ability to find and maintain work, as well as a renewed confidence in other aspects of their lives. They should also understand themselves a bit more, be able to communicate more effectively, and be more motivated, enabling them to overcome barriers that they may have thought were unassailable.

Course Presenter

Kieran has developed and implemented numerous workshops focusing on many areas of psychology, and is a registered psychologist in New South Wales.  Kieran has been a sport psychology consultant for South West Queensland soccer, the ACT Academy of Sport, the Canberra Cosmos National Soccer League squad and has consulted with numerous schools, businesses and local sporting clubs in Queensland, Canberra, and Victoria, and now in New South Wales.

This has included working as an injury management psychologist for Workcover claims, and in a case manager / psychologist contract role for a Job Network member. It is in this role that Kieran realised the potential for the Job Ready Program after dealing with numerous job seekers, particularly long term unemployed and mature job seekers.

Cost and Payment

Fees for the series presentation are set at a total cost of $2200 (GST included) regardless of participant numbers. This fee structure includes course preparation, and course materials for each participant.

A 25% deposit is to be made upon booking of the workshop series. Payment in full is to be made to the course presenter upon completion of the course. Please make cheques out to: MPC or direct payment can be made into a bank account.

Further Services

Individual psychological assessment may be appropriate for some job seekers to help identify individual psycho-social barriers. This may aid the case manager in determining the best way to provide help for this job seeker to find work. An individual psychological assessment would require a 1.5 hour session with the job seeker and a further 1.5 hours to write the report. The extensive detailed report would include barriers to the job seeker finding work. The cost for this service would be $360 (GST Included).

For more information or to make a booking, please contact me.

Job Ready Program

Session 1:   Confidence

•What is confidence?

•What are negative automatic thoughts?

•Distorted thinking styles

•Methods to reduce negative automatic thoughts

Session 2:   Who am I? / Motivation

•‘Parts of My Life’ Profile

•What qualities do I possess?

•What are my job interests?

•What skills, knowledge and abilities do I have?

•What barriers do I have for finding and maintaining work?

•Improving my motivation

•Lifestyle change management

Session 3:   Time Management

•How to plan your time

•Setting Goals

•Preparing Yourself for a Task

•Being in Control

•Maintaining Momentum

Session 4:   Communication

•What is communication?

•Non-verbal and verbal communication

•Levels of communication

•Effective Listening

•Phone calls

•Interviews

Session 5:   Stress Management / Relaxation

•What is stress?

•Relaxation methods

•Positive Self-talk

•Putting it all together

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