Syllabus

Session 1: Self-understanding and goal-setting.

  • Description: This session will focus on self-understanding and life planning. Where do you want to be in the short and long term? What are your strengths, preferences, and desires? We will explore the importance of successfully setting and meeting goals.

  • Off-Line Activity: Write a paragraph describing where you want to be in your life in one year and in ten years.

Session 2: Using and managing your time productively, and developing helpful routines

  • Description: This session will explore topics such as: the importance of developing good daily habits and routines, how to be productive, and how to structure your day to make the most out of your 24 hours.

  • Off-Line Activity: Create an example of a personalized day schedule + week schedule.

Session 3: Education: college, trades or university… What are my choices?

  • Description: This session will explore the different types of education available to young people in Canada, exploring questions such as: What educational options do I have? What are the entrance criteria and workloads? How can I get to where I want to go?

  • Off-Line Activity: Visit an educational institution in your area, and talk to some students to ask about the courses and ambience therein.

Session 4: Finding and accessing community and support resources

  • Description: This session will focus on discovering and accessing resources that can help you advance in life. This will include programs and community organizations, as well as grants and bursaries for career training, education and work experience.

  • Off-Line Activity: Find and share a resource that might be helpful to your own personal goals and situation, for example a scholarship or work training program.

Session 5: Effective virtual communication

  • Description: This session will focus on all aspects of virtual communication including writing professional emails, telephone etiquette and harnessing websites such as LinkedIn. Social media and digital footprint issues will also be discussed.

  • Off-Line Activity: Write a draft professional email to a potential employer asking about employment opportunities, or to a former teacher asking for a reference.

Session 6: How to successfully network

  • Description: This session will focus on successful networking: why to do it, how to do it, and when to do it. We will teach certain strategies that can help you network virtually and in-person, thus opening employment, educational and business opportunities.

  • Off-Line Activity: Design and print a draft business card that could be given out to people during in person networking activities.

Monthly Group Activity: Attend a Job Fair

Session 7: Writing an attractive CV

  • Description: This session will focus on writing and designing an attractive CV that will lead to job interviews and employment opportunities. This will include discussion of format, content and the art of tailoring your CV to different jobs.

  • Off-Line Activity: Prepare or update your CV according to our suggestions.

Session 8: Conducting an effective job search

  • Description: This session will focus on the many ways to find jobs, including word-of-mouth, searching on-line portals, and locating/ approaching employers that are hiring. You will learn to tailor your job search to your skills, experience and ambitions.

  • Off-Line Activity: Find a job opportunity for a job that interests you using one of the methods taught in the session.

Session 9: How to succeed in a job interview, including positive nonverbal communication

  • Description: This session will focus on preparing for a job interview including making a great first impression, body language, vocal intonation, appropriate attire, anticipating questions and practicing beforehand.

  • Off-Line Activity: Make a list of things to do as preparation for a job interview.

Monthly Group Activity: Locate businesses that are hiring downtown and hand out your tailored CV to a manager in-person.

Session 10: Writing essays and reports for classes and work

  • Description: This session will focus on a variety of writing skills that are useful in both college and the workplace. This will include discussion of structure, format and content, as well as tips on setting a positive routine and beneficial ambience for writing.

  • Off-Line Activity: Write a short report (one page maximum) about your experience in Flex to Launch that could be shared with potential students wanting to learn more.

Session 11: Budgeting and financial management

  • Description: This session will focus on basic money management, such as creating a budget and spending responsibly. We will cover issues such as tracking your revenue, maximising earnings, spending priorities and potential cost-savings.

  • Off-Line Activity: Make a budget for the upcoming week or month, estimating income and expenses. Find and share bargains and cheaper options to meet your needs.

Session 12: Persistence: how to overcome challenges and failure.

  • Description: The final session will focus on developing skills and resiliency to overcome challenges and small failures, such as failure in job interviews and bad grades at school. This will include learning how to soldier on and persist through difficulties.

  • Off-Line Activity: Over the week, identify a time when you experienced a small failure. Write a short paragraph detailing how you dealt with this.

Monthly Activity: End-of-Program get together including certificate presentations and discussion of program Alumni status.