Transitions to Postsecondary and Careers - How Volunteers Can Help Learners

Career exploration, interview skills, college/technical school information, resume writing -- these are all areas where volunteers can help your learners transition to postsecondary or to a career beyond your ABE organization.

Materials include a wide array of planning tools, guides and other aides that can help volunteers or staff direct learners, enabling them to transition to postsecondary or access a career.  Also included are volunteer position descriptions that encourage learners to volunteer, thus gaining experience needed for moving beyond your ABE organization.

The materials are available here in PDF format for easy viewing.  However, modifiable copies of the documents in MS Word format are available by request.

This project is a collaborative effort of many literacy programs.  If your program has developed materials that you would like to share, or if you would like more information about the existing materials, please contact us.

Learners Volunteering

1. Finding a Volunteer Opportunity - guide for volunteers as they help learners research and choose volunteer positions.
2. Volunteer Intake - form to help learners understand what type of volunteer position they may want.
3. Volunteer Quiz  - quiz to help learners find a volunteer position that is compatible with their skills and interests.
4. Volunteer Interest Form - form used when learners need volunteer experience to help them make the first contact with a volunteer agency.
5. Time Management - form to help learners recognize when they will be available to volunteer for an organization.
6. How to be a Successful Volunteer - tips on helping learners to be successful in their volunteer experience.
7. Community Contact Info – form to list places/organizations/etc. where a learner can volunteer.  This form can be filled out by anyone and used as a resource for learners to find volunteer experiences that fit their interests.

Learner and Postsecondary Education or Training

1. Postsecondary Options - guide for volunteers as they help learners who are interested in transitioning to postsecondary education or training options.
2. Postsecondary Learner Intake - Q & A form to help/guide learners to determine the type of postsecondary learning opportunity that may be best for them.
3. Before You Apply to College - basic information for learners to determine if they are ready to think about postsecondary education and training.
4. Postsecondary Tracking Sheet - this sheet helps the learner keep track of their progress toward the goal of attending postsecondary education or training.
5. Postsecondary Timeline - easy timeline when applying for fall postsecondary education or training opportunities. -- Optional
6. Interest Assessment and Possible Careers - includes a link to an online Interest Assessment to help learners consider possible career choices.
7. Choose A Major - guide to help the volunteer work with a learner to determine which postsecondary facility would be best for his/her career interest (major).
8. Choosing Postsecondary Education - simple form to clarify which three post-secondary education facilities the learner is applying to and why.
9. Applying to Postsecondary - guide for volunteers to help learners apply, once they have selected their postsecondary education/training program.
10. Accuplacer and MELAB Placement Tests - description of the differences in the two tests and how they affect postsecondary education opportunities.
11. Why Postsecondary Ed is Important - brief reasoning and statistics on why postsecondary education and training are important to learners.

Learner and Financial Aid

1. Financial Aid Tips for Learners – guide for helping learners understand the vocabulary of financial aid and some of the steps needed.   
2. Sources of Financial Aid – a description of grants, work-study, loan programs, and tuition reciprocity.
3. FAFSA Facts for Volunteers - Guide for helping learner apply for financial aid through the FAFSA.
4. FAFSA Timeline for Learners - listed by month, this guide will help a learner be ready for starting college in the fall and know when to re-submit the FAFSA.
5. FAFSA - Guide for Volunteers - guide for the volunteer to use in conjunction with the “Information Needed to Fill out the FAFSA” for the learner.
6. Info Needed to Fill out FAFSA - form will help learner to have all their confidential information available when starting to fill out their FAFSA forms online. 

Learner Seeking a Job

1. Job Search Intake – a simple tool for a volunteer to use with learners to help them understand/clarify the type of job they may want to find.
2. Job Search Homework – a form for learners to use to keep track of the different locations where they have asked about job openings and applications.
3. Networking Process – an introduction to networking that explains why it is important, how to network, the do’s and don’ts, and leads the learner to the next parts of networking: contacts and conversations.
4. Networking Contacts – a fill-in log to keep track of whom the learner has talked with about finding a job.
5. Networking Conversation - a form to use to record actual contacts, names, summary of conversations and places where they work.
6. Where to Look for a Job – a form and activity that a volunteer and learner can do together to help the learner discover job opportunities close by. 

Learner Interview and Application for a Job

1. How to Apply for a Job – basic information on interest assessment, how to fill out an application and the steps that will follow.
2. Info Needed for Job Applications – a form to help learners to have all their confidential information available when filling out a job application.
3. Transferable Skills -  list to help learners understand their skills and how those can transfer to a job skill.
4. How to Write a Cover Letter - an easy template for a learner to use for a cover letter to be sent in with a job application.
5. Resumes - form describes what a resume is, why it is used, how to prepare one and helpful tips
6. Resume Template A – template to use for a resume.
7. Resume Template B – a different template to use for a resume.
8. Interview Preparation - an outline that covers many areas that a learner should go over well before they have their first interview.
9. Interview Questions - this worksheet provides practice questions and tips for answering interview questions. 
10. Job Rights - basic information on rights when being interviewed and rights on a job.  

Other Helpful Forms

1. Prioritizing - a guide to help learners consider the other issues in their life when considering applying for a job or a volunteer opportunity.
2. Learner Info for Letter of Recommendation – a helpful guide to use when asking someone to write a letter of recommendation for the learner. May also be helpful to use when filling out job applications, resume, or when applying to postsecondary. 

Volunteer Position Descriptions and Training Guide

1. Volunteer Position Descriptions – examples of 13 different positions, including the purpose, duties and requirements for each.
2. Career and College Advocate Training Guide – a comprehensive manual for volunteers that includes important links, tips and examples of learner scenarios.