All youth should have the opportunity to gain character and competence through their work and service experiences. Employers frequently say that the qualifications they value most in entry-level employees are not technical skills but such traits as punctuality, reliability, and diligence - personal competence and social competence in our terms.

Employers claim that people who have demonstrated personal and social competence can be trained in technical skills. In other words, it is easier to teach people how to perform specific work tasks than how to perform the role of worker.

Gaining personal and social competence is critical for youth, therefore, because such competence endures and is needed in any workplace, whereas many technical competencies are site-specific and are outmoded as new technologies are introduced. Moreover, the same personal and social competencies that employers seek are applicable outside the workplace in young people's lives as citizens and family members.

The Story Groups listed below contain stories from mentors and youth. These stories illustrate what youth learn and what mentors teach. The Activities are designed to engage mentors in making decisions about what they teach as well as how they teach. The Guides suggest how to conduct the training activities.