As posted in the Maine Parent Federation News…
The Maine Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (or “VR” as it‘s commonly referred to) provides services to transition-age youth with disabilities to help prepare them for employment. Every high school in Maine has an assigned VR Counselor.
With the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), there’s an increased national focus on making sure that young people with disabilities and their families start career planning early. To support this, VR is partnering with schools and organizations across the state to expand opportunities for high school students to learn about the world of work through “Pre-Employment Transition Services”.
Here are some examples:
- Job Tours/Job Shadows
- Job Clubs
- Mock Interviews
- Self-Advocacy/Independent Living Skills
- Group Career Preparation Activities
Additionally, VR has a number of career assessment tools and helpful labor market information that can assist students to learn about education requirements, projected openings, and wage information for their career fields of interest.
To learn more about Pre-Employment Transition Services available in your area please contact your high school or local VR office. A complete listing of offices is available on the VR’s website.
For more information call (207) 623-6799.
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Photo credit: Image licensed by Creative Commons by Speed of Creativity.