The major focus of vocational training programs is to teach students the skills necessary to accomplish job tasks. However, "life skills" are just as necessary for a person to function independently (Brolin, 1989 ) and to avoid interruptions of the employment experience. When one considers all of the skills that go into maintaining a job, it becomes clear that life skills are as important as job skills. Prior to going to work, a person must figure out what to wear, wash up, figure out what she is going to eat at breakfast and lunch, and make sure she has transportation to get to work on time. Once at work, she needs to interact appropriately with her co-workers and supervisor, handle problems appropriately, and understand her paycheck. She needs to know how to budget that money wisely, and engage in healthy, enjoyable activities outside of work. Major skill deficits in one or more of these areas could result in loss of job and require further training at a community rehabilitation program. Without the resources to teach a person life skills, further job skill training could be a wasted effort. In order to address this problem, Life Skills for Vocational Success has been developed. A life skills curriculum is not a novel concept. In many ways, this manual is not novel either. Like other products available, Life Skills for Vocational Success contains training materials in the typical areas of life skill training such as social skills, money management, employability, and health. Furthermore, Life Skills for Vocational Success relies on common teaching strategies such as modeling and role playing. Despite the similarities, this manual deviates from many other life skills training manuals in the following ways:
1. Life Skills for Vocational Success is specifically designed for employment success. It is assumed that people have participated in a training program to learn daily living skills and become more independent. The training plans in this manual are devised to provide advanced training for those people who are preparing to go to work, but need further training to be successful on the job.
2. Life Skills for Vocational Success contains reviews and recommendations for using other life skills training materials available on the market.