Question:

Hi Ms. Harvell,

I am a Program Specialist/WorkAbility I Coordinator in a small school district and am collecting information that to help special education teachers prepare their students for future adult responsibilities. Can you provide some information on what students need to know as they transition through school? Thanks for your help.

Answer:

I am impressed but pleased that you are taking time out of your busy schedule to do this collect this information. Realizing time is of the essence, I will get to the point. There are three basic areas which, if addressed appropriately, should help prepare students for the future. Each area is based on grade and age levels.

1. Career Awareness – focus is on what younger children (elementary school) need to learn about work. Examples include:

• What work is (produce a service or product through gainful employment to support themselves and/or a family, and contribute to society)
• Kinds of job family members perform (paying/nonpaying jobs)
• Developing good work habits (follows directions, responsible and on time, learns to work with others)
• Developing good work skills (learns organizational skills, responsible for self, takes care of materials, uses assistive devices, learns academic skills that include speaking, listening, recognizing letters, counting)
• Becoming aware of various jobs within everyday experiences (home chores, gardening/yard work, pet care)
• Learns the role of chores (teaches responsibility, working together, developing self esteem and necessary life skills)

2. Career Exploration – focus is on what middle school students need to learn about work. Examples include:

• Increased demands (organizing time for family, community and religious activities, balancing school and community activities)
• Increased responsibilities (home and community – volunteer work, paid work)
• Understands meaning of work (jobs performed by family, extended family and friends, community workers)
• Exploration (identifies vocational interests through reading, interviews, job shadowing, listening to guest speakers, going on field trips)
• Continue to develop work habits (being on time, cooperation, follows complex written and spoken instructions, manages time and space)
• Develops communication skills (articulates interests, abilities, challenges, and possible accommodations)

3. Career Preparation – focus is on competencies high school students must acquire. Examples include:

• Well developed academic skills (language arts, mathematics, communication, science)
• Understands personal values (impact on involvement with others and on the job)
• Ability to set goals (personal and vocational)
• Understands resources and how to use them (allocate time, materials, money, etc.)
• Established interpersonal skills (teams with others, sociable, works with difference kinds of people)
• Seeks acquisition of information (evaluates, uses, organizes, and maintains information and data; communicates with and uses computers)
• Respects equipment and materials (selects, uses, maintains low to high technology)
• Developed thinking skills (can think, problem solve, and make informed decisions)
• Flexible, self reliant (average to high levels of self esteem)
• Correlates interest with academic and career options (aware of skills, abilities and values necessary for success and future independence)
• Developed job seeking and work experience (search skills and volunteer and/or paid work)

Some of these competences, if you will, may seem unrealistic but should be used as a gauge or yardstick so students acquire the necessary skills to be successful in their adult lives. Refer to the following web sites for further competences that support academic standards and career learning.

http://www3.iptv.org/pub/STCpdfs/ncdgstan.pdf

http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-2/career.htm

http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/whatwork/whatwork.pdf

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/transition/learning_a_living.html

Good luck!