What are Pre-Employment Transition Services?
Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS) are designed to support the transition from school into adult life of high school students with disabilities. In order to pave the way for employment, PETS services provide vocational exploration, hard and soft skills training, and competitive integrated vocational experiences to high school students. Designed to give students an introduction to work that will serve to both, inform their future vocational choices, develop work habits and obtain experience that will make them more marketable in the competitive workforce. PETS services are specifically designed to be provided to students who are enrolled in high school. Classes are around an hour to an hour and a half.
MISSION
For every student to serve an independent life through meaningful work.
VISION
Engaging every student in career planning activities that lead to a fulfilling adult life through work.
INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING
Mission Empower will provide training to participants using I’M GETTING READY I CAN DO IT. This training provides students with information to prepare for life skills outside of school and help get them ready for work.
SELF-ADVOCACY TRAINING
Mission Empower will utilize portions of ME! Lessons for Teaching Self Awareness & Self Advocacy Verson2.0 as well as PYLN Transition Toolkit, topics that are covered will be:
• Disability Awareness • I.E.P. Advocacy • Understanding the Transition Processes
• Post-Secondary Education
• Employment
• Social services
• Voting
WORKPLACE READINESS TRAINING
Mission Empower will utilize the training and curriculum developed by ODEP called Skills to pay the bills. This training is an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills. This training is about the skills a person needs to be workplace ready.Mission Empower will do a career interest survey, information on interviews skills “SAR”. Mock interviews where and how to look for work.
JOB SHADOWING
Mission Empower will provide Job Exploration assistance: This is defined as assisting in, guidance, and training provided to high school students with disabilities designed to assist them in identifying and learning about job opportunities in particular occupations and industry sectors, training info by Career Plan Project Workbook by McGraw Hill. These services may be provided in a one on one setting, or through employer visits.
WORK BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
The Work-Based Learning Experience is the centerpiece of PETS services. A work-based experience, such as an internship, is an on-the-job training program. Training will take place in cooperation with employers, to high school students. This work-based experience is intended to assist high school students in developing necessary skills and abilities to effectively place them into competitive integrated employment.
The Work Based Learning Experience/Internship must involve competitive, integrated employment. An integrated setting is one found in the community, in which an individual with a disability interacts with employees and other persons, as appropriate to the position, who do not have disabilities to the same extent that employee without disabilities who interact with these persons. Employment enclaves, work crews, and segregated employment sites are not considered appropriate integrated employment or internship sites and are not acceptable.
Mission Empower will provide information and reporting on progress, abilities, and workplace behavior.
