1. A Vision of Employment For All: Preparing youth to work
Ellen Condon
Marc Gold and Associates &
University of Montana
Rural Institute for Community Inclusion
(406)

2. WIOA Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (July 2014)
WIOA will help workers including workers with disabilities, access employment, education, job-driven training, and support services that give them the chance to advance careers and secure the good jobs of the future” President Obama
emphasis on high expectations and competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities, particularly for youth/students with significant disabilities

3. When do we start talking to kids about work and careers?

4. “Competitive Integrated Employment”
Full or part time work;
Minimum wage or higher;
Wages and benefits similar to those performing the same work without disabilities;
And fully integrated with co-workers without disabilities.

5. Customized Employment
Everyone is “ready” to work;
You don’t have to compete to get hired;
Instead of assessing and comparing abilities, we discover: strengths, interests, skills, contributions and ideal conditions of success;
Employment begins with the person not the employer.

6. Customized Employment is now a part of the Rehab Act
“Competitive integrated employment for an individual with a significant disability, that is based on an individualized determination of strengths, needs, interests, of the individual with a significant disability” “designed to meet the specific abilities of the individual with a significant disability and business needs of an employer” and “carried out through flexible strategies”.
CE is now an available service through public VR nationally.
APSE WIOA Final Bill Summary 7/31/14

7. Typical Way to Get a Job

8. Just because you can’t compete doesn’t mean you can’t work
It just means you need a different strategy to be successful getting a job

9. Two Distinct Approaches
Labor Market Job Development: Responding to the needs of employers with applicants who are “qualified” to meet those general needs.
Customized Job Development:
Discovering the “strengths, needs and interests” of job seekers and proactively negotiating a job description that meets both the applicant’s and employer’s specific needs.

10. Customized Job Development is a different conversation with an employer
Job Developer initiates on behalf of the Job Seeker
Employers are contacted because their needs might match what the job seeker brings
Job developer assists employer to identify unmet needs
Job seeker’s skills, tasks & contributions are emphasized
a proposal is presented and a position is negotiated
Employer Reacts
Reviews their unmet needs or allows developer to I.D. unmet needs
If a match is identified, a proposal is made
If the proposal is a win-win for employee and business, a new job description is created

11. Is employment for everyone?

12. An individualized work experience which considered student interests, conditions for success, contributions & tasks that could be offered to an employer

13. WIOA: Youth Transition and Subminimum Wage
Focuses the efforts of VR programs on preparing youth with disabilities for competitive integrated employment
Youth can not immediately enter subminimum wage programs
Youth with disabilities must first apply for VR services
Receive training in job setting soft skills
Have experiences in competitive integrated employment
Receive an explanation of their rights to work at or above minimum wage
If they enter a subminimum wage program, they must have a plan for moving to competitive integrated employment
AUCD presentaton on WIOA 8/20/14

14. Let’s Use Work Experience
To get to know what each student can do and to help them envision themselves working in the community!

15. Types of Work Experiences and Paid Employment in Schools
Volunteering
Job Shadowing
Service Learning/Internships
General Work Experience
Matched Work Experience
Customized Work Experience

16. Placement upon graduation, with adequate supports in place
What about an evolution of work experiences to prepare students for the best matched
Placement upon graduation, with adequate supports in place

17. . Work Experience led to a job
The school learned about Carley’s conditions, skills and potential tasks through various work experiences and gathering information from people who knew her well.

18. Conditions for Success
Characteristics of:
Work environment
Supervisor or coworkers
Tasks
Structure of flow of the tasks
Flexibility of schedule
Ongoing supports

19. Contributions Personal attributes Experiences or training Credentials
Work characteristics
Skills (an ability acquired by training)

20. Tasks the person can do for Pay
Tasks of daily living,
Tasks performed during work experiences, and
Tasks that can be taught based upon the skills we know a student has.

21. Unpaid work experience at the hospital in several areas;
The IEP team needed to learn how and what Ann could contribute and about her ideal conditions before the team including Ann could envision her in employment.
Unpaid work experience at the hospital in several areas;
Unpaid experiences at school;
Interviews with people who knew her well.
Marc Gold & Associates

22. Work experience led to a job
Work experiences identified tasks Ann could do, where she felt safe, her contributions and support needs. She began her job before exiting school.

23. General Work Experience Focus
Often an array of pre-developed community or school sites that represent the variety of local economy
Students may rotate through on a set timeframe – two or three months max
Remember to offer a variety of career types.

24. Are we learning and teaching all we can in general work experiences?
Interests
Motivators
Support needs
Support strategies that work
Skills and abilities
Ideal conditions for success
Conditions that don’t work for the student
Marc Gold & Associates

25. Tasks that match a student’s skills within an area of interest…

26. An individualized work experience where tasks, attendance, and supports were negotiated.

27. Self employment: a delivery business started as a work experience in school.

28. What do we need to learn during work experiences?
How students learn best
Environments that work/don’t work
Support strategies that help them be successful
Things to avoid in a workplace
Tasks the student can do
Skills, abilities and contributions

29. Using work experience to Clarify conditions for success
Jim does best in an environment where the rules are clear and enforced
Mostly male
Working around the same few people daily
Succinct instruction up front
A variety of familiar tasks
Physical tasks

30. Using work experience to clarify (or minimize) ongoing support needs
What environments will ‘naturally’ have supports a student needs?
Can the student move from one task to the next? Ask for help? Socialize? Get to work and break on time….WITHOUT THE JOB COACH WITH THEM

31. Reframe what may be perceived as a barrier to employment and community membership into the “ideal conditions for success” and “support needs” Focus on how someone can participate… not why they can’t.

32. Resource for Department of Labor Guidelines around unpaid work experiences

33. Resource for developing and organizing experiences:
A Guide to Developing a Work Experience Program (Using Volunteerism for Middle School Students)
Available at:

34. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
1.Job Exploration Counseling. These are services to assist the student in exploring the world of work and learning more about their interests, abilities and future career goals. Services may include the following:
Vocational guidance and counseling
Interpretation of existing assessments done in the school.
Using the MCIS tools with the student (eg Interest Profiler, Work Skills, Reality Check, etc)
Exploring the Department of Labor and Industry website There are some great resources including the portal to MCIS, the Career Resource Network including a tab for Students.
Facilitating job shadowing, informational interviews, volunteer opportunities, etc.
Disability Mentoring Day (Week) or anytime an employer will mentor a young person
Job Clubs
Montana VRBS

35. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
Job Exploration Counseling (cont.)
Payment of transportation to job shadowing, informational interviews, tours of Job Services, college Career Services, IL Centers, career fairs, etc.
Registration fees for career seminars, career fairs, career camps, etc.
Job search assistance by Community Rehabilitation Programs
Volunteer site facilitation by the school, IL Center or CRP
Introduction to the option of Customized Employment and Job Creation
Discovery activities: looking for your skills, support needs, strengths by interviewing people who know you well; or having someone gather this information. Through facilitated discovery.
Montana VRBS

36. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
2.Work-based learning experience. The new Act encourages experience over continual assessment. The intent is to have students try-out jobs or gain work experience prior to graduation.
Services under this category could include:
Jobs performed in the school (paid or unpaid)
Jobs performed outside of the school
Volunteer positions in the community
Internships both paid and unpaid
Participation in Mentoring Day
Informational interviews
Job shadowing
Montana VRBS

37. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
3. Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post-secondary educational programs at institutions of higher education.
For those students seeking further education past high school VRBS can assist them with the following services:
Referrals to campus services (Career Services, Disability Support Services, TRIO and Educational Opportunity Centers)
Preparation for entrance testing
Campus visits
Review of entrance requirements
Links to FAFSA, Student Assistance Foundation and other funding resources
College preparation camps and college open houses
Montana VRBS

38. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
4. Work place readiness, training to develop social skills and independent living. These services focus on preparing the student for entering the world of work and living independently.
Services could include:
Soft skills training
Working/Living with a disability classes
Work skills training
Peer mentoring and supports
Independent living skills
Customer service skills
Classes at Job Services, HRDCs, Adult Education, IL Centers
Travel training
Exploring technology to be more independent on the job
Montana VRBS

39. Required Pre-Employment Transition Services
5. Instruction in self-advocacy, which may include peer mentoring. Helping the student help themselves and develop the skills to flourish in the economy and life.
Services could include:
IL classes on peer mentoring, living well with a disability, self advocacy, disability history
Attending Montana Youth Leadership Forum or the Montana Youth Conference
Job Mentoring activities
Instruction in assistive technology and accommodations in the workplace
Instruction in identifying and understanding your impact of disability in relation to work
Instruction or mentoring in identifying and communicating your accommodation needs at work
Instruction or mentoring in disclosing your disability to employers
Support to create a visual resume and practice sharing it with others
Montana VRBS