M. Employment
I will learn how to find and get a job that fits my needs and helps me learn, work, and be involved in my community.
Section 1. Guidepost Areas and Level Up (Pre-ETS) Services Aligned with CORE Transition Skill
Guidepost
Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning
Level Up (Pre-ETS)
Job Exploration
Counseling for Postsecondary Education/Training
Work-Based Learning Experience
Workplace Readiness Training
Instruction in Self-Advocacy
Section 2. Assessments, Progress Monitoring Tools, and Resources
Assessments
- Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS)
- BRIGANCE® Transition Skills Inventory (TSI)
- Becker Work Adjustment Profile (BWAP-2)
- Career Priorities Profile (CPP-3)
- Employability/Life Skills Assessment (ELSA)
- Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales (ESTR)
- The Environmental Job Assessment Measure: E-JAM
- Informal Assessments for Transition Planning - 2nd Ed
- Informal Assessments for Transition Series: Employment and Career Planning
- ONET Career Exploration Tools
- Transition Behavior Scale, Third Edition (TBS-3)
- Transition Planning Inventory (TPI-3)
- Transition to Work Inventory, Third Edition
Resources
Skill-Building Resources
- Berkeley University – Informational Interviews
- Career One Stop – Your source for career exploration, training & jobs
- Career Launch SD (Work-Based Learning Toolkit)
- Empower Your Future: Career Readiness Curriculum Guide
- EnvisionIT College and Career Readiness Curriculum
- Explore Work
- Google for Education – Applied Digital Skills: Teach and learn practical digital skills
- A Guide to Developing Collaborative School-Community-Business Partnerships
- How to Keep a Job: The Young Adult's Guide
- Life Skills Curriculum: Career Preparation (VA Project Life)
- Military Careers from the Occupational Outlook Handbook
- National College Transition Network (NCTN): Career Pathways - NCTN
- O*NET OnLine – Tool for career exploration and job analysis
- PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment: Employment
- Resume and Employment Guide for People With Disabilities - ResumeBuilder.com
- The Resume Workbook for High School Students
- Skills to Pay the Bills – Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success (U.S. DOL, ODEP)
- T-Folio – Free transition portfolio tool
- Youth@Work - Talking Safety Curriculum for CT (NIOSH/CDC, 2012)
State Resources
- 2-1-1 of CT – Volunteer CT
- American Job Centers
- Job Corps | Hartford
- Department of Aging and Disability Services
- Unemployment Benefits
- CTDOL – CT Career Paths
- CTDOL – CT Youth Employment Information
- DDS – Employment and Day Services
- Local Workforce Development Boards
- Project SEARCH
- UConn UCEDD – School-Age and Post-Secondary: Customized and Customizing Employment
Additional Suggestions (available for purchase)
- Elements of Basic Careers: Careers I and Careers II. Firelight Books.
- Pathful Explore - Virtual Job Shadow
- W.A.G.E.S. - A Job-Related Social Skills Curriculum for Adolescents — Saavsus, Inc.
Section 3. Example IEP Annual Goal, Short-Term Objectives, and Transition Activities/Services Aligned with Standards
English Language Arts College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards
- CCRA.R.7 – Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
- CCRA.W.6 – Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
- CCRA.SL.1 – Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own ideas clearly and persuasively.
Example Annual Transition Goal
Given (condition for learning), Student will demonstrate skills to access appropriate employment to meet their individual needs as measured improvement on self-assessment and teacher-completed rubric.
Example Short-term Objectives
- Given (condition for learning), Student will complete a job interest graphic organizer with an area of interest and three different related job titles as measured by an increase from 0% to 100% on an activity rubric outlining specific details needed related to each job title by (insert Date).
- Given access to in school or community-based settings, Student will complete an on-site or virtual job shadow experience and create 2 blog entries increasing mastery from 1/5 to 5/5 assessed work examples by (insert Date).
- Given (condition for learning), Student will prepare 3 questions and attend an employer information/job fair and ask questions of employers as measured by independent completion of activity and teacher observation with a (insert %) increase from baseline of (insert current %) by (insert Date).
Additional Transition Activities/ Services to Consider
- Learn about employability skills and schedule work experiences.
- Complete online applications.
- As a class, students develop a community employment portfolio by interviewing family members, neighbors, and business owners. Students specify the job demands, requirements, and other details for each employment option.
- Conduct a local employer interview about job requirements in an area of interest.
- Complete an online interest inventory and research occupations in areas of interest, in order to create portfolio describing the occupation, its requirements, and salary.