Career Exploration & Development
Strategies & Resources
Texas Transition
Conference
February 2016
Curtis Richards
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Institute for Educational
Leadership, Center for Workforce
Development
Who We Are & What We Do
Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL)’s Center for
Workforce Development
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for
Youth (NCWD/Youth)
• Funded by Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S.
Department of Labor
• National TA Center assists state & local workforce
development systems to integrate youth with disabilities into
their service strategies
• Partners: IEL; Institute on Community Integration, University
of Minnesota; Boston University
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Guideposts for Success
Five Essential Components for All Youth:
1. School-Based Preparatory Experiences
2. Career Preparation & Work-Based Learning
3. Youth Development & Leadership
4. Connecting Activities
5. Family Involvement & Supports
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http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts
Career Development Defined
An iterative process of developing skills
in three domains:
1. Self-exploration
2. Career Exploration
3. Career Planning &
Management
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Self-Exploration
“Who Am I?”
Definition:
Ability to identify personal interests, skills,
and values to better understand oneself and
inform decisions
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Self-Awareness
• Many youth don’t know what their disability is,
or haven’t practiced telling others about it.
• It is crucial that youth know how their disability
affects them in school and employment (to the
greatest extent possible).
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Self-Exploration Activities
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Career Interest Inventories
Personal Interest Inventories
Understanding your learning style
Finding your strengths
Family activities such as travel or community
events
Research to Practice – Program Examples
Self-Exploration
Using Career Assessments
• Shasta Co 21st Century Career Connections, CA
– Adapted RIASEC Inventory, Holland codes, universal design
– Created Multiple Intelligences and Interests tool
– Created TIPS for Success Guide to Transition document
• Tech-Now Oklahoma High School/High Tech
– Use state career info system: Career Cluster Inventory
• Ctr for Independent Living of North Central Florida
(CIL/NCF) High School/High Tech
– Use state career info system: Work Values Sorter, Learning Styles
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Self-Exploration Resources
ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/howto-guide/section-1/self-exploration
Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools:
• I Am Who I Am … And As Others See Me (Guideposts for Success
Activities)
• O*NET Ability Profiler (identify your strengths), Interest
Profiler (identify types of work activities you like), Work
Importance Locator (identify what is important to you in a job)
• Identifying Personal Values (Utah)
• How Likes and Dislikes Can Influence Career Choices (Georgia)
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Self-Exploration Resources
• Using Career Interest Inventories to Inform Career
Planning, Innovative Strategies Practice Brief,
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovativestrategies/practice-briefs/using-career-interestinventories-to-inform-career-planning
• Career Planning Begins with Assessment Guide,
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/career-planningbegins-with-assessment
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Career Exploration
“Based on who I am,
what are my best options to explore?”
Definition:
Ability to identify and analyze various career
options in terms of what education, training,
experience, and competencies are required for
success
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Career Exploration Activities
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Informational interviews
Workplace visits and tours
Job shadowing
Career fairs
Career camps
Hands-on career projects
Career-focused mentoring
Research to Practice – Program Examples
Career Exploration
• Transitional Age Youth Program, Long Beach, CA
– Career Cruising: Airport visit exposed youth to 27 jobs
– Five-Day Checklist Extravaganza: Week-long job rotation
• Bay Cove Academy, Brookline, MA
– Job shadowing includes career scavenger hunt activity
• Linking Learning to Life, NH
– Learn to Earn Program: Employers trained to give interactive career
presentations in schools
– Applying math, science, communication skills on the job
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Career Exploration Resources
ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/howto-guide/section-1/career-exploration
Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools:
• Exploring Customer Service Jobs in Your Own Community;
Generations at Work (Guideposts for Success Activities)
• Career Investigation (Utah)
• Career Clusters Review and Occupational Exploration
(Georgia)
• My Next Move - match interests with different careers
• Career One Stop videos (U. S. DOL ETA)
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Career Exploration Resources
• Career Exploration in Action, Innovative Strategies Practice Brief
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovative-strategies/practicebriefs/career-exploration-in-action
• How to Build Partnerships for Career Exploration: Using Job Shadows
to Explore the World of Work, Monadnock Center for Successful
Transitions, http://www.mcstnh.org/images/stories/pdf/build_partnerships_for_career_explorati
on_sept10.pdf
• My Skills My Future, O*NET tool for those with previous work
experience, http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org/
• MyFuture.com, from U.S. Defense, Commerce, Education & Labor
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
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Career Planning & Management
“What do I need to do now
to make my goal a reality?”
Definition:
Various skills needed to maintain employability
and navigate career changes throughout the
lifespan
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Activities for Career Planning &
Management Skills Building
Opportunities to learn and practice:
1. Soft Skills
2. Career-Specific Skills
3. Job Search Skills
4. Youth Leadership and Development
competencies
5. Financial Literacy
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Work-based Learning
• Builds skills in all 3 domains: self-exploration,
career exploration, and career planning &
management
• A supervised experience sponsored by an
education or training organization that links
knowledge gained at the worksite with a planned
program of study
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Research to Practice – Program Examples
Career/Work Readiness Skills Training
• First Jobs Academy, ME
– All youth must complete 4 weeks (6 hr/week) of pre-employment
life skills & job retention training (Curricula available online)
– Training on Communication, Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving,
Professionalism, Teamwork & Collaboration; Employer partners
assist in delivering training
• Open Meadow Alternative School, OR
– Several weeks of training hosted by employer partner
– Training in professional work culture, career planning, competitive
interviewing strategies, self marketing techniques, and networking
skills
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Career Planning & Management
Skill Building Resources
• Soft Skills Training
 ODEP’s Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for
Workplace Success curriculum,
http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/
 Helping Youth Develop Soft Skills for Job Success: Tips
for Parents and Families InfoBrief http://www.ncwdyouth.info/information-brief-28
 Soft Skills Podcast series, http://www.ncwdyouth.info/podcast/helping-youth-develop-softskills-for-job-success
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Research to Practice – Program Examples
Work Experiences
• Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential, OH
– 10-week summer internship: various jobs at VA Medical Center and
other work sites matching individual youth’s interests
– Internship Learning Contract clarifies expectations for all
– Worksite Progress Report, supervisor shares feedback
• Palm Bay High School/High Tech, FL
– Students obtain internships through various connections: program
mentors, Chamber of Commerce, parents
– Internship Agreement defines intern duties, expectations
– Supervisor provides feedback via Student Evaluation form
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Successful Strategies for Work
Experiences
1. Provide youth with soft skills training and guidance
2. Train youth in technical skills, or hard skills, as needed for
specific work experience setting
3. Devote significant time to developing and maintaining
relationships with employers
4. Clearly communicate what is expected of employers, youth, and
families upfront
5. Carefully match youth to opportunities based on individual
interests and skills
6. Provide on-going support to youth and employers throughout
the work experience
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Career Planning & Management
Skill Building Resources
More Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools in the Online ILP
How-to Guide address:
• Job Search Skills
• Youth Development and Leadership
• Career and Work Readiness Skills
• Work-Based Learning
• Financial Literacy
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide/section1/career-planning-and-management/job-search-skills
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Career Planning & Management
Skill Building Resources
• Work-based Learning
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 Engaging Youth in Work Experiences: An Innovative Strategies
Practice Brief, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovativestrategies/practice-briefs/engaging-youth-in-work-experiences
 Work-based Learning Jumpstart: http://www.ncwdyouth.info/work-based-learning
 High School/High Tech Program Guide (Ch. 3: Career Preparation
and Work-based Learning Experiences), http://www.ncwdyouth.info/hsht/program-guide
 Road to Self-Sufficiency: A Guide to Entrepreneurship for Youth
with Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/road-to-selfsufficiency
Career Planning & Management
Skill Building Resources
• Work-based Learning
 Internships: The On-Ramp to Employment, A Guide for Students
with Disabilities to Getting and Making the Most of an Internship,
National Consortium on Leadership & Disability for Youth
(NCLD-Youth), http://ncld-youth.info/Downloads/intern-guidefinal.pdf
 Quality Work-Based Learning and Postschool Employment
Success: NCSET Issue Brief,
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1192
 Work-Based Learning and Future Employment for Youth: A
Guide for Parents and Guardians – NCSET Information Brief,
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1222
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Disclosure and Accommodations
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Disclosure—youth should decide when and how much
to tell others, and understand how their disability affects
their capacity to learn and/or perform effectively; they
should also be “aware”…
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Accommodations—youth should be empowered to
determine what environmental adjustments, supports,
and services they need in order to access, participate and
excel in school, at work, and in the community.
Disability Disclosure Resources
• The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with
Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disabilitydisclosure
• The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Families,
Educators, Youth Service Professionals, and Adult Allies Who
Care About Youth with Disabilities, http://www.ncwdyouth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults
• Cyber Disclosure for Youth with Disabilities,
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure
• Disability Disclosure Videos, http://www.ncwdyouth.info/videos
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Accommodations Resources
• The Job Accommodation Network (JAN),
http://askjan.org/
• JAN’s Searchable Online Accommodation Resource,
http://askjan.org/soar/
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• Entering the World of Work: What Youth with Mental
Health Needs Should Know About Accommodations,
ODEP,
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning.
htm
Individualizing Career Development
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IEPs
ILPs
IPEs
ICDPs
More about ILPs: http://www.ncwdyouth.info/ilp
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For More Information
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National Collaborative on Workforce and
Disability for Youth: www.ncwd-youth.info
Department of Labor's Office of Disability
Employment Policy: www.dol.gov/odep
Contact:
Curtis Richards, RichardsC@iel.org
Ph. (202) 822-8405 Ext. 163