Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
__________
[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- g. Coordination with Employers
Describe how the designated State unit will work with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities in order to facilitate the provision of:
- g. Coordination with Employers
g. 2. Transition services, including pre-employment transition services, for students and youth with disabilities.
Current Narrative:
In addition to the previously described activities, the Employer Services Section also works with employers to better serve transitioning youth with disabilities, including providing career exploration opportunities for students with disabilities. In 2015, DRS debuted the Positive Outcomes Within Education and Rehabilitation (POWER) program. POWER is a job shadowing program that offers transitioning students, who may be having a difficult time choosing a career path, the opportunity to experience an occupation by spending time with a professional working in the students’ vocational goal/career field of interest. The POWER program allows the student the opportunity to experience an occupation prior to committing to training. It guides the student to take a serious, realistic look at the occupation, allowing the student to make a more informed choice. As of November 2019, 85 employers have agreed to host job shadowing experiences with DRS’ POWER program.
Employment specialist services, including Pre-ETS, provided to students with disabilities:
- POWER job shadowing program;
- Transition fairs;
- Job readiness workshops;
- Job clubs;
- Interviewing;
- Resume preparation;
- Application assistance;
- Dressing for an interview/employment;
- Job retention and good work habits;
- Job search and employer contacts;
- Assist students in locating employment opportunities and assisting with applying to openings; and
- Advocating on the student’s behalf to employers when requested by the student.