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50 For 50 #42: New Skills
This is the 42nd in a continuing series of stories--one every day for 50 days--to conclude IKRON's year-long celebration of our 50th anniversary. Missed one? No problem! See the entire series on our news page here.
IKRON still possesses, and frequently reads from, the staff journal from the first year of the UC Rehabilitation Center (IKRON's original name).
Today's story is a series of journal entries regarding participants learning life skills.
Monday, November 24, 1969
"At the group meeting today we involved ourselves with discussing payroll deductions; discussion centered on what deductions were, why they were made, and the purposes they served in regards to the employee. Few of the trainees knew much about this."
Monday, December 1, 1969
"In the afternoon after the kitchen crew was done and TV High School was over, we held another information class. After reviewing the basic budget, we discussed living accommodations--the types and their advantages and disadvantages, leases and renting apartments."
Friday, January 2, 1970
"We held a group counseling session today and discussed the areas in which each trainee needed to grow or change or learn. In addition to the area of basic education, we spent some time on the various problems of speech and communication followed by the topic of social skills. The small group seemed to have some insight into their rough spots."
Today's participants, much like their 1969 counterparts, still learn about communication and social skills to help them on their road to employment. However, we also have a great deal of training about more 21st-century concerns, like email and social media etiquette. Participants may also receive education help to work toward a GED; computer training, which can lead to certifications in Microsoft, NCRC, and NorthStar; kitchen training, to learn all aspects of working at a restaurant, and certification in ServSafe; janitorial training; construction training; office training; and other job skills.