Assessment of a Workplace Program's Capability to Teach Communication and Problem-Solving Skills

Low-income individuals' lack of personal skills can be a barrier to workplace success. Using the Skills for Taking Control of Your Future curriculum, Extension educators taught communication and decision-making skills to enhance individuals' workplace competency. Pre/post assessments were designed to collect data on effectiveness of the curriculum to increase the use of communication and decision-making skill components in everyday situations. Using a test of significance for differences in means, socio-demographic group scores were analyzed for pre-post significant differences. The outcome was positive for some groups, supporting the use of the curriculum to teach personal skills that enhance individuals' workplace effectiveness.