GED Career Bridge to Hospitality Curriculum (All sections)

The curriculum includes several sections to integrate GED studies with the hospitality industry.

Author(s)
Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC)
Author(s) Organizational Affiliation
Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
Publication Year
2007
Resource Type
Instructional Material
Number of Pages
400
Product Type
Target Audience
Abstract

Many employers require at least a GED for new entrants into the workplace; however, many new entrants lack fundamental background information concerning the workplace and the world of work in order to stay with the job or move up in the field. This curriculum resource prepares students for the GED credential while providing important background information, skill instruction, and practice within a hospitality career context and career pathway model.

This curriculum is based on research findings that curriculum content should be closely linked to the real-life settings in which knowledge and skills are used. It is expected that students who complete this curriculum and earn their GED will enter the hospitality industry with a deeper and better understanding of the work and the workplace than their GED-earning counterparts who have not completed the curriculum. In addition, many adults find the career pathway model and materials compelling because they experience the direct connection of literacy skill development and important personal career goals.

The curriculum includes several sections to integrate GED studies with the hospitality industry: 1) GED reading, writing, math, social studies (instructor will need to contextualize examples), and math sections; 2) career awareness; 3) career information (skills & knowledge); 4) certification, credentials, licensing, education, specializations; 5) job earnings and opportunities; 6) links to additional sites for practice; 7) numerous glossaries from various hospitality industries; and 8) crosswalks to Workplace Essential Skills and commercial GED materials for additional instruction and practice. The tone of the materials is encouraging and supportive while providing numerous opportunities to explore and research various aspects of the industry.

The teacher's guide includes: 1) a copy of an ERIC Digest, "The Adult Education Teacher's Role in Career Planning" (could be supplemented with a contemporary bibliography or a more recent article), 2) benefits to combining a vocational and GED curriculum, 3) recruitment suggestions, and 4) ways to work with the community to publicize and give credibility to the Curriculum Certificate awarded to completers of the program. Certificates such as this one must be recognized by and have credibility to the employers in the industry.

Many employers require at least a GED for new entrants into the workplace; however, many new entrants lack fundamental background information concerning the workplace and the world of work in order to stay with the job or move up in the field. This curriculum resource prepares students for the GED credential while providing important background information, skill instruction, and practice within a hospitality career context and career pathway model.

Required Training

Training requirements are not provided, but familiarity with VALRC's "GED as Project" is suggested. Familiarity with contextualized teaching and learning, especially to supplement GED studies, would be preferred.

What the experts say

This resource is valuable to educators wanting to incorporate a vocational context into a GED curriculum. Learning activities are designed to be used "as is"; however, activities are flexible enough to meet with the needs of individual programs. The importance of partnering with local employers in a given industry is affirmed and suggestions about how to create and sustain these partnerships are included.

Students would get the most value from this curriculum where adult educators take suggested steps to connect directly with local employers and where students and instructors work together to sequence the activities. The most beneficial features include:

  • Use of authentic materials
  • Wide range of employment options within career pathway
  • Extensive, expert career information from the web portal
  • Specialized vocabulary for industry sector
  • Interesting, multi-part math problems with details on how to use the five-step Inquiry Process
  • Engaging and relevant reading materials with details on how to help students develop critical thinking and internalize new learning

Two suggested resources:

Jacobsen, E., Degener, S., & Purcell-Gates. V. (2003). Creating authentic materials and activities for the adult classroom: A handbook for practitioners.Cambridge, MA; National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Available from http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/teach/jacobson.pdf 

Rao, D. (2005). What we can learn from developmental reading research in postsecondary education? Boston: World Education/National College Transition Network. Available from:http://www.collegtransition.org/promising/rp2.html

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