Work Adjustment Training

The Work Adjustment Training Program helps students with disabilities who are eligible for vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for employment and life after high school.

The Program:

  • assists teachers, parents and students in developing appropriate career goals
  • helps determine students' employment-related strengths
  • builds on those strengths to prepare them for post-high school employment
  • works on deficit areas and provides job readiness skills and work related experiences

Because teaching vocational skills are often most effectively taught in the same environment in which they are performed, a key component of the program is community job site exploration. Students with disabilities learn functional skills in an appropriate community environment, which has lead to greater success for post high school job placement.

TheWork Adjustment Training Program is a partnership between Voc. Rehab, the school district and a community provider if applicable, to further enhance the student’s work skills.

DRS Funding – to start the process, talk to the DRS counselor assigned to the student’s school. Family members/students can discuss with the classroom teacher to start the process.

Job Exploration: Students train at several businesses within the community. These sites are set up to provide multiple work experiences prior to graduation. These experiences allow for the students to have an idea of the types of jobs they may be interested in or not which becomes the basis of the job search plan after graduation.

Instructional Modules: Additional job and life skills are provided to assist in learning skills needed to get and keep a job. General training areas include Social Skills, Hygiene & Grooming, Safety, Nutrition/Health, Communication, Time Concepts, Money Concepts, Transportationand Getting a Job.

After graduation

The counselor can assist the student in connecting with a community agency for job coaching assistance to help find, train and keep a job in the community.After graduation, counselors and students continue to work toward employment goals. Job development and placement specialists help students make job searches more successful.Supported employment can be accessed as early as the second semester of their senior year to transition into regular employment. Talk to the assigned DRS counselor for additional information.