Barbara Seales comes to Extension with a background in career counseling, workforce development training and employer relations through experience with at-risk populations, a graduate level MBA program, as well as classroom instruction experience. Seales is familiar with the application for the ITA -Workforce Investment Act grant for vocational training, and is a Certified Money Smart Instructor.
She earned her master's degree in adult studies with an emphasis in workplace issues and solutions from National-Louis University. Recently she completed training and certification for Global Career Development Facilitator [GCDF] through the University of Wisconsin, Madison's Center on Education and Work.
Seales is interested in the impact of life roles in the career decision-making process; specifically ability and willingness to acquire skills to become and remain competitive and adaptive in the new global economy.
Programs' emphasis is career decision-making process and job preparedness, incorporating the Illinois Career Development Competencies, UNICEF Life Skills, Career Clusters, and SCANS Five Competencies. Activities include inventories and profilers. Career information will be shared through the on-line Extension Career Express Newsletter http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/careerexpress.
Success in today's global job market requires education and training beyond the high school diploma; whether vocational training, traditional college, military or service corps.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
All programs incorporate the Illinois Career Development Competencies, UNICEF Life Skills, Career Clusters, SCANS Five Competencies.
Discuss the implications of technology, global economy and privatization in re-shaping and defining the work-place; labor market information. Instructions are interactive, hands-on and self-paced options; using print and on-line resources.
Employment Coaching
Individual and small group training: job readiness, job preparedness, skills assessment, interest profilers, career exploration, career decision-making, job retention, re-careering, workplace re-entry and career advancement. Incorporates workshops on Adults to College, Vocationa Training - Informed Decision-Making, Chicago Workforce Centers and One-Stops; and Advance Internet Job Search Skills.
TeensWORK Career Exploration
What's next after high school? Career interest inventories, labor market information, relating interest and jobs to careers. The first job, teen job web-sites, importance of work history, completing print and on-line applications, First Impressions, interview preparation, surviving the first thirty days of employment, scheduling; the check stub.
Stress high school completion, critical thinking, proactive planning, public speaking and presentation skills. Self-management and work survival skills: communication, accountability, responsibility and relationships in the workplace.
YOUTH Career Exploration
Explore interests, talents and abilities; relate school experience to work environment; connect school subjects to job skills and corresponding careers. Discuss jobs in family, community and daily life; importance of high school selection, grades and attendance. Use popular board games, individual and small group activities, stress public speaking and presentation skills.
