The leap from high school to what’s next is a big jump for most young people. Young people with disabilities can experience a trickier transition.
During high school, young people with disabilities and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) have a structured support system to help them as they pursue their educational goals. But when these young people leave high school, that structured support system goes away – at a time when there are many life path decisions to be made. The big decision facing all young people is what to do next: post-secondary education or enter the work world are two common options – with countless follow-on decisions to make.
Leading CareerForce Partner Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) is utilizing $3.4 million in grant funding from the to help participants explore their long-term goals and determine the steps needed to complete them.
“People with disabilities haven’t been given permission to dream bigger,” says Nancy Stensgard Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC). “We want to help them discover goals they haven’t thought of and identify barriers to those goals. RMCEP will then recommend resources to remove those barriers.”
The grant will fund the work of RMCEP Youth Coordinators who can help youth with disabilities explore their options with multiple work experiences and a solid plan for next steps to meet their goals. In addition, RMCEP Certified Work Incentive Practitioners and Benefits Coaches help people with disabilities who receive government assistance avoid disincentives to employment while they are working their way up to a living wage. RMCEP also has staff who work with employers on providing any necessary job accommodations.
RMCEP has established relationships with employers in the parts of Northwest Minnesota that they serve and pairs youth with disabilities in employment experiences that align with their interests and skills. RMCEP Youth Coordinators check in weekly and monthly to ensure that young people are building necessary job and life skills through the work experience – not just earning a paycheck – including the importance of saving money for future needs like transportation and housing. The goal is to prepare young people for a living wage job that meets their needs.
- Read more about and how it helps individuals, families and employers in Minnesota.
- Find out about a range of services for people with disabilities through Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- Contact staff at a CareerForce location near you for assistance with career exploration and employment services in your part of Minnesota
