Pre-Employment Transition Services is a specific set of services funded by Vocational Rehabilitation and other adult service agencies for students with a disability who are still enrolled in school. 

Work Opportunities Unlimited is approved to provide Pre-ETS in multiple states and draws upon substantial experience providing transition services to students and employment services to adults.  It must be stated that each state has the ability to implement the Pre-ETS service autonomously and therefore the requirements and manner in which the service is delivered may vary.  For more information on the specific Pre-ETS services that are available and the details of service delivery, please contact the nearest Work Opportunities Unlimited office near you.  With that being said, the services outlined below are subject to change based on the service model of your particular state.

• Workplace Readiness Training – The student and his/her guardian would participate in an initial meeting, which will include an overview of the service including the review of service brochures. The signing of consents, confirmation of the service schedule, and a review of our internal portal database to identify possible work based learning locations.    Subsequent to the initial meeting, the student will be scheduled to participate in 6 hours of “classroom” training that can be provided in as small as 2-hour increments.  The training can be provided in groups or individually, with a community location to be determined.  The classes may take place at a WOU office location, but will likely take place in the community in a location in close proximity to the student.  If approved by the student’s school district, WOU can provide the training on-site in a school building.  The training will include the following topics to be delivered using Power Point:
  • Searching for Jobs
  • The Job Application
  • The Resume
  • The Interview
  • Maintaining Successful Employment

• Job Exploration Counseling – This component will include the completion of a person-centered plan, a personal resume, and a mock interview. This service is provided 1:1 with the student and is designed to help them identify a job goal based on interests and provide training and tools necessary to interface effectively with employers for the purposes of a work based learning experience or future employment.  The service will be provided at a location and time that is convenient for the student, but will not be provided in the student’s home.

• Work-Based Learning Experience (WBLE) – The student participates in one, unpaid or paid temporary work experience as agreed upon by the Counselor and the student. The location of the site will be targeted based on the interests of the student and consensus of the student’s team.  The experience will include feedback from the site supervisor and from observations conducted by the Career Resource Specialist from Work Opportunities Unlimited.  The goal of the experience is to provide information that will help the student determine a path toward post-secondary employment.

• Post-Secondary Education Counseling -The duration and activities of this component are very much based on the needs of the student. Activities could include:  on-line research into post-secondary education institutions that may be of interest based on the career goals of the student, registration and support with college tours, and research to determine the process for application.

• Self-Advocacy – During the Job Exploration Counseling component, the student participates in a person-centered planning process, which will serve as the mechanism for the student to express his/her post-secondary goals. The process involves observation, personal interviews, and stakeholder feedback to gather information on skills, interests, personal network, learning style, preferred environments, and ultimately goals and action items pertaining to a career path and support needs.  The process culminates in the opportunity for the student to present his/her plan to his/her transition team.