Narrative: b. 1. D.

 Recurring themes that emerged in barriers to employment within the population of students with disabilities are lack of job preparedness, negative perceptions, transportation, and poor life and social skills:

• A lack of job preparedness was consistently reported in the CSNA as one of the main barriers to employment for youth in transition. This includes not having job skills, little to no work experience, and not having sufficient education or training. BRS staff mentioned much of the training the students receive is too simple and does not properly prepare them for the workforce. When that occurs, students may have unrealistic expectations about what the job entails and are unprepared. Once students are hired, there is sometimes limited on-the-job training and support.
• Another barrier in this population was various perceptions about youth in transition. Employers’ perceptions about hiring individuals with disabilities are one example. Furthermore, some families do not see the value/importance of youth working or have different perceptions and worries about the impact of employment on Social Security benefits, thereby discouraging their children from seeking employment. In addition, a difficult home life and lack of family support can serve as a barrier to participation and success in the CT's Pre-ETS program which has been named Level Up .
• Transportation issues continue to be a barrier for transition-aged youth. Many youths in transition struggle with obtaining proper state IDs. In addition, many rely on family members to drive them to their jobs; however, that responsibility can be difficult for family members working full time.
• Life skills and poor social skills have been identified as another barrier for this population. Some youths are not receiving the proper life skills training or services (time management, organization, etc.) during high school, leaving them ill-prepared once they graduate. In addition, many individuals in this age range struggle with self-esteem and insecurities that can be exacerbated by having a disability, recurring themes that emerged to services within the population of students with disabilities include scheduling and coordination issues, lack of technology options and lack of engagement or the development of meaningful relationships with VR program staff:
• Scheduling and coordination issues among staff and youth are significant barriers to services. To begin, many counselors do not work with youth in the summer but waiting until the fall slows services due to the bureaucratic issues of processing new clients. In addition, there tends to be poor coordination and transition from youth to adult services. Without proper follow-through and transition to adult services, students graduate high school and no longer receive supports, which can be difficult for them.
• A lack of options for the use of technology to communicate with BRS staff has been identified as a barrier. Providing additional platforms such as social media, texting, special apps, and online groups could improve communications and services.
• A lack of engagement is also a barrier to services. While schools differ, some do not advocate for the Level Up program and do not encourage students to participate. Some students are unaware of the services offered or feel they do not need them. In addition, there needs to be better partnerships and engagement between educators, counselors, and students. When counselors do not spend time developing meaningful relationships and fully learning client needs, long-term success is undermined.

BRS significantly increased the number of transition Plans developed (+87%) for youth over the three-year period from 2014–2016. This corresponded to a 47% decrease in the average number of days from eligibility to Plan (compared to a 38% decrease agency-wide) and a simultaneous increase, from 18% to 25%, in the proportion of agency plans accounted for by youth. However, in the following 5 years, the number of transition plans developed decreased significantly from 769 in 2016 to 380 in 2020 (–57%).  The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student participation in 2020 must be considered when contemplating this decline. This decline corresponded with a 20.5% decrease in the average number of days from eligibility to plan (compared to a 17.5% decrease agency-wide) and a decrease of 3% in the proportion of agency plans accounted for by youth cases (from 25% to 22%).