Diversity in the Workplace -- Soft Skills at the Skills Center

Contributed by the Maricopa Skill Center -- Essential Skills

 

The Diversity in the Workplace Workshop is one module of Maricopa Skill Center’s mandatory “Soft Skills” Course.  All students must complete all of the workshops to be graded as passing. All workshops consist of a Pre and Post assessment that allow us to determine the growth in each student’s knowledge base during the workshop. The most important component about the workshops is that we are working to “weave” or “twine” the behavior into the classroom. The goal is to ensure the behavior becomes a part of the “norm” in the classroom and is carried with the student into the workplace.

We decided this training should be mandatory because industry feedback provided by our DACUM process (curriculum development process) supported the need for Soft Skills as “necessary” to achieve and maintain employment. In addition, during our efforts to achieve national certifications for National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and other MSC programs, Soft Skills were listed as “required” for individuals seeking NIMS certification. Finally, while 25 soft skills are listed as “known” to be sought after by a variety of industries, MSC’s nine workshops represent the common areas or subjects found throughout MSC programs.

Diversity in the Workplace emphasizes the value our institution places on diversity and our commitment to helping our students recognize their value in our classrooms and beyond. The Essential Skills team members work to live that mission every day. We are unique, and we all have something to offer our students, our coworkers, and our place of employment. Our mission is to help our students speak the same language.

Diversity in the Workplace brings out a lot of discussion about students’ past experiences of diversity issues in the workplace or things their parents taught them about dealing with people who are different.  Many of our students have never participated in a training or workshop related to Diversity.   There are students who enter the workshop with the belief that there is nothing they can do to address diversity or issues that come up surrounding diversity.    Students are inspired to recognize that they can make a difference by starting with themselves.  A quote by Helen Keller is used to inspire students to recognize the power of one person:

“I am only one; but I am still one.  I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.  I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

At the end of every workshop, students are asked to complete a workshop evaluation.  Their responses are anonymous.  
Having received the DAC Award for our Diversity in the Workplace workshop, we thought it fitting to share with you some of the responses we receive from students’ perspective. 

“I learned a lot in this class about how to communicate with coworkers and supervisors concerning stereotyping/labeling issues as they come up in the workplace. The "Ouch" method can be used non-offensively in many situations including in public. It really gave me a feeling of empowerment in handling those types of situations.”
 Thank you ,
Sincerely,
Shawn Griffin
Legal Administrative Assistant Student

Additional comments from other students included:

• “[discovering that] diversity focuses on a broader set of qualities.”
• “The exercise that we participated in that opened up how others saw me when they first saw me.”
• “The video we watched about stereotypes.  It helped me to see examples of how I and others are stereotyped.”
• “The “Ouch” Strategy to help me deal with things people say about others.” This strategy empowers students to use several different approaches with the first being to “assume good intent and explain impact.”
• “Learning about my own bias and what to do about them.”
• “The everyday examples of how people are affected when we are not sensitive to a diverse workplace.”
• “The discussion about racism and prejudice.”
• “Understanding what diversity, bias, stereotype and prejudice really means.”
• “The challenge to step outside my comfort zone to engage in communication.”
• “The explanation and understanding of gender and other assumptions.”
• “Did not realize how important diversity plays a role in a workplace.”
• “How to become aware of yourself when making assumptions.”
• “That sometimes I judge people for how they look and this is wrong.”
• “Recognizing the need to be more understanding of others.”
• “The characteristics of diversity helped me to think outside my preconceived notions.”
• “Being different is okay.”
• “The B.U.I.L.D. Strategy.”  This is a strategy that encourages student to be open, understand other’s perspective, initiate discussion and contact, listen and learn from others and discard old frames of reference.
• “I learned more about diversity in two hours than when I was in high school. I do understand diversity better.” 
• “That a person can tell if a workplace values diversity when they walk in and by the kind of people that work there.

Clearly this workshop has an immediate and powerful impact on the students that attend and engage themselves. It is our belief that as we continue to engage students they find ways to do “the something they can” to demonstrate a value for diversity in the workplace.