Young adults with disabilities who are getting ready to move on from school to employment may be eligible for several vocational rehabilitation (VR) services.
VR counselors work with you, your parents and/or the school district to develop a coordinated transition plan. This includes your school history, interests, employment goals and your future needs for training.
Pre-employment transition services provide opportunities for students with disabilities to learn through work and education. These services are coordinated by a VR counselor. For more information, see the Pre-Employment Transition Services page at Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Additional resources for youth with disabilities who are in transition
Transition Planning
- “Kickstart Your ILP” Toolkit – You may have heard about something called an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). Maybe you’ve even got one! If you do have one, you have a choice: 1) Start it and treat it like any other assignment, or 2) KICKSTART it into an experience that empowers you to take charge of your future.
- “Shelly Saves the Future: A Story of Career Development” Informational Comic – Follow high school senior Shelly as she uses an ILP to take charge of her future.
- Exploring College and Careers: Student Workbook – This resource is an introduction to the investigation of careers and college and is designed for 7th through 9th grade students. Many students and their families may not be familiar with the pathways to education after high school, and Navigate provides information to begin preparing for success.
- Idaho Parents Unlimited a trusted source for information, resources, and supports when navigating complex systems in raising a child with a disability or special health care need in Idaho.
- Idaho Centers for Independent Living provide job coaching, training and information on disability in the workplace to help people with disabilities stay independent. Find your nearest ILC:
Transitioning into the World of Work
- Get My Future – Helping youth put together a successful job search with resources on resumes, interviewing, networking and finding job openings.
- Job Search: What it Takes – Find tips to make your job search successful. Learn more about getting work experience, writing a resume, interviewing and landing a job.
- My Next Move – Learn more about an industry or the career of your choice.
- MYMoney.Gov provides tips on how to plan and budget so you’ll have enough money when you need it.
- Soft skills are important traits that make you marketable in today’s rapidly changing workplace. ODEP has created a set of lessons and videos for youth ages 14 to 21 to learn about the six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.