Transition to Employment

Employment leads to independence

Our Transition to Employment program helps prepare individuals with intellectual and development disabilities for the workforce. Our program teaches participants who are 16 years or older essential skills to acquire a job and succeed in the workplace so they can live more independently.

Our comprehensive program helps participants identify their work-related interests, prepares them with hands-on skills training, provides them with the tools and assistance needed to acquire and maintain a job. From there, we then support them throughout their employment journey.

The Transition to Employment program includes the following:

  • Job Exploration – Activities to explore career interests and abilities.
  • Workplace Readiness – Development of soft skills, how to communicate and behave at work, independent living skills and accessing transportation.
  • Work-Based Learning – Interview rehearsals, job shadowing and mentoring, worksite tours, internships or volunteer opportunities.
  • Acquiring and Maintaining Employment – Assistance in choosing a job, support in maintaining the job and hands-on training to success in the job.
  • Self-Advocacy – Learning rights and responsibilities, how to request on-the-job accommodations and participating in community activities.
  • Work Life Balance – Learning skills to support wellness and opportunities for recreation while maintaining employment.

In addition, the program also assists individuals in their desire to live independently by ensuring they understand self-advocacy, how to budget their money, pay bills, participate in the community and how to create work-life balance.

The Transition to Employment program also has a Benefits Counselor that individually meets with participants and their family before pursuing paid employment. The Benefits Counselor guides the participant and family through the employment process and any potential effects that paid employment may have on any received benefits. In this way, the family can make an informed decision on employment to ensure they don’t lose benefits they want to keep.

EMPOWER means Engaging and Motivating People through Opportunities in Wellness, Education and Recreation.

We have partnered with Trillium Health Resources to bring the EMPOWER program to life. 

trillium health resources logo

Transition to Employment program’s award winning food truck

A unique enhancement of the Transition to Employment program is the hands-on learning participants receive by working on our SensABLE Snacks food truck. The food truck is used as a learning lab for developing and building employment skills for participants in the Transition to Employment program.

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Here’s what individuals are saying…

“My favorite part of the Transition to Employment program is learning how to cook different foods!”

“With each new hands-on learning experience, the participants increase their skills and independence as well as their confidence!” 

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