Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning Experiences
Career preparation and work-based learning experiences are essential in order to form and develop aspirations and to make informed choices about careers. These experiences can be provided during the school day, or through after-school programs, and will require collaborations with other organizations. All youth need information on career options, including:
- Career assessments to help identify students’ school and post-school preferences and interests
- Structured exposure to post-secondary education and other life-long learning opportunities
- Exposure to career opportunities that ultimately lead to a living wage, including information about educational requirements, entry requirements, income and benefits potential, and asset accumulation, and
- Training designed to improve job-seeking skills and work-place basic skills (sometimes called soft skills).
In order to identify and attain career goals, youth need to be exposed to a range of experiences, including:
- Opportunities to engage in a range of work-based exploration activities such as site visits and job shadowing
- Multiple on-the-job training experiences, including community service (paid or unpaid) that is specifically linked to the content of a program of study and school credit
- Opportunities to learn and practice their work skills (“soft skills”), and
- Opportunities to learn first-hand about specific occupational skills related to a career pathway.
In addition, youth with disabilities need to:
- Understand the relationships between benefits planning and career choices
- Learn to communicate their disability-related work support and accommodation needs
- Learn to find, formally request and secure appropriate supports and reasonable accommodations in education, training and employment settings.
Resources
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Math, Science, and Technology: Essential Skills for Career Success in the 21st Century
A brief providing basic information on math, science, and technology as a fundamental need in our day-to-day lives, and suggested academic coursework to better prepare young adults for the top growing careers.
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Benefits Planning for Youth with Disabilities Quick Reference Guide
A guide to help those assisting youth with disabilities navigate the range of state and federal government programs and benefits for people with disabilities in the United States.
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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of Youth Service Practitioners: The Centerpiece of a Successful Workforce Development System
A document discussing the knowledge, skills, and abilities youth service practitioner need to serve all youth, including youth with disabilities, effectively.
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Pro-Bank
An online database of promising programs and practices in the workforce development system that effectively addresses the needs of youth with disabilities
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The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
An ODEP-sponsored summer internship program for college students with disabilities
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Public Service Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities
A program for college students with disabilities interested in working in the executive, judicial or legislative branches of the federal government in Washington DC during the school year.
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Career Voyages
A Web site that provides information on high growth, high demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs.
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Youth Rules
A Web page gateway providing quick access to information about federal and state labor laws that apply to young workers.
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Career Information for Kids
A Webpage on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ site to assist youth in career exploration.
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Youth to Work Coalition
A coalition that assists businesses in creating or enhancing internships and mentoring programs available for youth with disabilities
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Mind Your Own Business
A Web site co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Junior Achievement, that explains five easy steps to owning your own business from a youth perspective.
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National Service Learning Clearinghouse
A clearinghouse providing timely information and relevant resources to support service-learning programs, practitioners and researchers.
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National Center for Education Statistics: Students Classroom
A user friendly site, where youth can look up their individual school and find statistics about schools in their area.
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Gateway to 21st Century Skills
A Web site providing educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit and commercial Internet sites.
