What are the skill sets in the job description?
If at all possible, review the job duties by visiting the site, talking with the supervisor and co-workers, and determining relative amounts of time in which the employee will engage in each duty. Discussion with supervisor and co-workers about frequency of specific tasks, duration of tasks, as well as times of day for specific tasks is crucial to assuring a productive work day and a well-designed schedule that will meet supervisor needs and keep the student active.
It is strongly suggested that you devise a clear list of the duties that appear to be within the student’s immediate abilities (can be taught within a few repetitions or practices) vs. duties that will require more training. Consider initially presenting the graphic organizer to show the student the various tasks in the job. Creating this dual list of strengths vs. teachable jobs can assist the success of the project or job match. The list can also be used as a starting point to negotiate the responsibilities that fit the project or supervisor’s needs for a specific quantity and quality of work while also fitting the student.
Look at the general sequence of tasks in the setting. You may well be negotiating a part-time job for the student at times that the supervisor needs specific tasks done that are within the student’s present ability. Is it possible to set up several tasks in a routine that can be fairly consistent each day?
Look at the distances traveled in transitions and the spaces through which transitions occur. Check for distractions and whether materials and space are well organized. Sometimes negotiating a different sequence of tasks or minor adjustments to the space and materials will be quite acceptable to the supervisor if she knows that these adjustments will lead to better quality.
For example, the student may have the chance to obtain a part-time position or job training option with the landscape operation of a park or large recreational facility, completing specific jobs on different days depending on need. Look for the jobs that are daily routines, such as trash pickup, garbage removal and liner replacement, using blower on sidewalks, etc. See if there are routines that recur but are not every day, such as mowing, trimming sidewalks, watering gardens, fertilizing gardens, weeding, etc. The student may need additional responsibilities in building maintenance that need to be built into the job description for rainy days, such as hall sweeping, dusting, indoor plant maintenance, equipment cleaning, etc. Negotiation of the tasks within the position will be much easier if you see the entire operation and use your knowledge to determine which tasks fit the individual and can be repeated on a regular basis.
In some animal science environments animals are used solely for the purposes of medical or veterinary research. The practice of euthanasia may also be used in veterinary schools and veterinary offices. How does the student feel about these practices and would his feelings interfere with his ability to work in such environments?
After listing the skills in the proposed job description, what are the steps that comprise each skill? How can you break each skill down?
It is often critical to not only observe the skill in that setting but to also go through the steps of the job yourself and list the steps as a result of performing the task. Listing the steps of a task allows you to identify the potential trouble spots and to develop visual supports that will support student independence. Doing this before expecting the student to perform the skill or task will prevent student, supervisor and instructor frustration and potential failure.
The instructor may feel like she does not have time to do this. Not doing so leads to failed job sites. If your goal is positive post-school outcomes, find a way to at least observe the task being performed and make the task analysis before expecting the student to perform it.
Review the task analysis and assure that the student can perform approximately 80% of the tasks. There may be steps that will be very difficult. Can these steps that are problematic be carried out by others in the setting? You may need to adjust the sequence to assure that the student produces a high quality and quantity of work according to the standards of the supervisor.
For instance, initially the student may be comfortable with all the steps of written instructions for putting on goggles and ear protection, starting the mower, operating the mower safely in designated areas as described on his schedule and returning the mower to the equipment storage building. However, his ‘mower maintenance’ skills are more limited and you have decided to give him some simple routines for maintenance that will be completed at the beginning of his shift. In other words, you are setting him up to be successful at filling the mower with gas, checking oil level and filling to correct level and wiping off the surfaces of the mower. You will later add cleaning the undercarriage of the blade housing, air filter cleaning, spark plug replacement, etc. as he shows ability with the limited set of skills.
What sub-skill should you target first for the student to initiate? Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?
In general, after you complete a task analysis of a task or skill, consider how many of the steps the student can perform independently. If the student can perform most (preferably 80%) of the steps without direct assistance, you have a good task for the student in the job. You will want to identify the visual supports that will assist him with the difficult steps as well as the sequence of steps. Generally, teach the steps of the task in sequence to build a routine while prompting the student to use the visual supports that will assist those difficult steps.
