Format

Individual Presentation

Format

Workshop

First Presenter's Institution

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

First Presenter’s Email Address

jrivers@abac.edu

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Jewrell Rivers is a Professor of Sociology, Marriage and Family, and Criminal Justice at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Tift County Commission for Children and Youth (TCCCY), the Advisory Board for the Department of Social Work at Albany State University, and the Board for the United Way of South Central Georgia. In addition to serving on professional boards, Dr. Rivers was active on the Planning Committee for the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Conference and has served as Vice-President and Member at Large for Teaching on the Executive Board for the Georgia Sociological Association (GSA). Along with his vast teaching duties, Dr. Rivers has also published research manuscripts in the Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research (JEQR), the Journal of Family Social Work (JFSW), and the Law Enforcement Executive Forum (LEEF). Along with his manuscript publications, Dr. Rivers has held professional memberships and presented several research papers at the Georgia Sociological Association (GSA), the Criminal Justice Association of Georgia (CJAG), the National Council of Family Relations (NCFR), the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), the Southeastern Council of Family Relations (SECFR), and the Rural Sociological Society (RSS). Statewide responsibilities include teaching sociology for eCore, and serving on the Regents Advisory Committee for sociology (RAC) and as Director of the African American Male Initiative (AAMI) at ABAC. Most importantly, Dr. Rivers models community leadership and social advocacy for his students and strives to provide opportunities for them to engage civic and charitable non-profit organizations and agencies.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Scarbrough 2

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

The proposal relates mostly to the "Heart" strand as a protective factor promoting the holistic well-being of all children and youth, especially those placed at risk by poverty and other adverse conditions. Teaching adolescents soft skills for career readiness enhances their social-emotional development and improves their social climate.

Brief Program Description

This workshop will introduce conference participants to the MASTERS Program, a model for teaching adolescents soft skills for career readiness. Participants will engage in small group discussions, simulation activities and interactive exercises to fulfill learning objectives. Participants will be provided with guidance on how to implement the MASTERS Program at their school for preparing students for success in the workplace.

Summary

The MASTERS Program (Mentoring Adolescents in Soft Skills To Engage Readiness Socially) is a practical model for teaching adolescents soft skills for career readiness. The model addresses the "Heart" strand in enhancing social-emotional development and improving the social climate for workplace success. Program components include: (1) Teaching Model - CAP (content, application, process) and (2) Teaching Modules (e.g., interpersonal communication, diversity, relationship building, group dynamics, conflict resolution, empathy). Participants will experience the following "takeaways": (1) Participants will be familiarized with the MASTERS Program and how it promotes the holistic well-being of children and youth through enhancing social-emotional development and improving social climate for career readiness; (2) Participants will learn how the MASTERS Program can facilitate critical thinking and problem-solving skills for success in the workplace; and (3) Participants will learn how to implement the MASTERS Program at their school through relevant, real-world applications.

Evidence

The following studies from the research literature are relevant and provide support for the proposal:

Damayanti, Yuliati, and Kholifah (2023) conducted a qualitative study with a descriptive phenomenological method in which data was collected through interviews and a literature review. The researchers found that soft skills training improved self-confidence and helped female graduates to prepare better for jobs in the STEM sector. The researchers concluded that soft skills can improve work readiness and create a more level playing field for women in the STEM sector.

Aryani, Airman, Saman, Samad and Jufri (2021) investigated the indirect effect of soft skills on career management through the role of psychological capital in different age groups including high school students, university students and adult employees. Data was collected through a three-wave data collection technique. The researchers found that soft skills positively influenced psychological capital and eventually increased career engagement in all age groups. The researchers also found that the effects were stronger for high school and university students than employees in the workplace. The researchers concluded that soft skills are important beyond academic and workplace performance.

Ingsih and Suhana (2023) analyzed the effect of soft skills on work readiness. The researchers found that soft skills such as creativity, teamwork and leadership skills significantly influence work readiness. The researchers also found that problem-solving skills, communication skills and ethics have no significant effect on work readiness.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to learn how the MASTERS Program promotes the holistic well-being of children and youth through enhancing social-emotional development and improving social climate for career readiness

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to learn how the MASTERS Program can facilitate critical thinking and problem-solving skills for success in the workplace

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to learn how to implement the MASTERS Program at their school through relevant, real-world applications

Keyword Descriptors

soft skills, career readiness, workplace, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, adolescents, social-emotional development, social climate

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-4-2025 1:00 PM

Download

Share

COinS
 
Mar 4th, 1:00 PM

The MASTERS Program: A Model for Teaching Adolescents Soft Skills for Career Readiness

Scarbrough 2

This workshop will introduce conference participants to the MASTERS Program, a model for teaching adolescents soft skills for career readiness. Participants will engage in small group discussions, simulation activities and interactive exercises to fulfill learning objectives. Participants will be provided with guidance on how to implement the MASTERS Program at their school for preparing students for success in the workplace.