According to the 2011 U.S. Department of Labor Study Skills to Pay the Bills, 75 percent of employers felt that high school graduates were not properly prepared for the workforce, especially in “soft skills” such as the ability to take initiative, demonstrating a strong work ethic, interpersonal flexibility and communicating effectively. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study on the skills adults reported as necessary to succeed in life, 90 percent of those surveyed listed communication as a priority skill. Yet few, if any, high schools offer “soft skill” courses. Adult 101 addresses this need.

Adult 101 provides life skills programs for teens such as: etiquette, personal safety, financial savvy, workplace know-how, cyber safety, fitness and nutrition, public speaking and persona. Grant funds were utilized to collaborate with other County Departments and private sector experts in these various subject areas. Consultants worked with professional librarians to develop program kits for each life skill. These kits contain everything a librarian needs for an Adult 101 program and provide a path for cohesive, quality teen programming in all 87 of our community libraries, regardless of staffing and without the need for extensive ongoing financial support.

Teens participating in Adult 101 learned how to get along with co-workers; be punctual and meet deadlines; communicate appropriately with supervisors; handle credit and debt; build healthy personal habits; improve their social and public awareness; and convey confidence as they moved into adulthood and the workplace. Library staff were also impacted positively as Adult 101 was an opportunity for our Teen Librarians – many of whom were in their first professional position – to help develop and implement a collaborative, large scale program specifically for teen clientele.