One-Week Workplace Skills Development Course: Transition from Education to Workplace

                                                                            Course Outline:

Day 1: Transitioning from Student to Professional

• Understanding workplace expectations
• Developing a professional mindset
• Workplace ethics:
  • Punctuality and discipline
  • Workstation responsibility
  • Following instructions and organizational policies
  • Professional communication: listening, note-taking, and comprehension
• Researching an organization’s mission, objectives, and legal framework

Day 2: Understanding Assigned Work & Technical Professionalism

• Identifying relevant organizations and departments in Pakistan
• Navigating government data sources:
  • Ministry of Finance
  • Economic Surveys
  • National labor and economic statistics
• Developing technical expertise:
  • Understanding key economic concepts (e.g., GDP, labor force participation)
  • Researching and analyzing assigned topics
  • Calculating growth rates (simple vs. compound)

 Day 3: Essential Documentation & MS Word Skills

• Structuring professional documents:
  • Cover pages, page numbering, tables, and headings
  • Using track changes and inserting comments
• Formatting documents for clarity and professionalism
• Mock exercises for document preparation

 Day 4: Data Management & MS Excel Proficiency

• Data entry
• Creating and formatting meaningful graphs
• Understanding different types of graphs
• Researching graph presentation techniques
• Following data formatting instructions from supervisors
• Mock exercises in Excel

 Day 5: Effective PowerPoint Presentations

• Understanding and following supervisor expectations
• Creating structured and engaging slides
• Presenting information effectively
• Reviewing common mistakes in presentations
• Mock PowerPoint presentation exercise

 Day 6: Survey Methodologies & Fieldwork

• Introduction to survey types:
  • Quantitative Surveys (structured questionnaires, pilot testing)
  • Qualitative Surveys (Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs))
• Conducting KIIs:
  • Preparing relevant questions
  • Interview techniques and documentation
• Conducting FGDs:
  • Facilitator and note-taker roles
  • Best practices for engagement and discussion
  • Ethical considerations (recording permissions, note-taking strategies)
• Mock exercises for KIIs and FGDs

 Day 7: Data Analysis & Report Writing

• Quantitative Data Analysis:
  • Using Excel and STATA
  • Tabulation plans and dummy tables
• Qualitative Data Analysis:
  • Thematic coding (manual & NVIVO software)
• Preparing a structured report:
  • Drafting an outline
  • Compiling findings from quantitative and qualitative analysis
  • Finalizing deliverables for submission

Additional Topics Covered Throughout the Course:

• Team composition and role responsibilities
• Comprehensive field team training and logistics planning
• Deliverables management:
  • Rough and typed notes of all tools
  • Media documentation (photos, recordings, permissions)
  • Analysis tables and report drafts
• Understanding legal frameworks and literature reviews
• Drafting official project-related documents:
  • Introductory letters
  • Attendance sheet formats

This structured syllabus ensures that participants develop the necessary skills for professional success while engaging in hands-on exercises.