Guided Group Discovery: Paving a Road to Employment

Many veterans are unsure about their path to civilian employment and seek guidance on how to proceed. Guided Group Discovery (GGD) is a set of strategies that can benefit any job seeker, especially people who face barriers to employment, in identifying possible jobs and career paths. GGD serves as a user-friendly tool that identifies the strengths, interests, experiences and ideal conditions of employment for job seekers, resulting in a “blueprint” to guide job development. The GGD process assists job seekers in identifying employment that would be a good fit for both the person seeking employment as well as potential employers. GGD brings together a small group of job seekers who are committed to their employment search. GGD activities lead job seekers through a process of self-exploration, with support from peers. The result can assist participants, including veterans who have experienced challenges finding and/or keeping a job, with a “blueprint” for employment possibilities that offers a “goodness-of-fit” between the job seeker and the job tasks associated with the particular job. This goodness-of-fit between the worker and the job is critical for employment success in the future.
Objectives
Participants will:
• Learn the rationales for using Guided Group Discovery
• Explore Guided Group Discovery strategies that can benefit veterans during their job search
• Identify ways to guide veterans in determining how their military training, discipline and mission focus can benefit an employer
• Access resources to support veterans transitioning into civilian employment such as the Guided Group Discovery - Veterans Edition Facilitator Guide.