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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

  1. Minnesota’s Youth in Transition Framework
  2. Educate yourself
  3. Engage families
  4. Support youth
    1. My best life
    2. In(ter)dependent living
    3. Employment
    4. Postsecondary education and training
3

Employment

Career exploration

Gain self-awareness

Does the youth understand their strengths, interests, preferences and needs related to careers?

  • Awareness: Understand self-awareness related to strengths, preferences, interests and needs.
  • Exploration: Identify personal strengths, preferences, interests and needs and match them to potential career opportunities.
  • Preparation: Practice using personal strengths, preferences, interests and needs during work-based learning experiences.
  • Implementation: Continue to reflect on personal strengths, preferences, interests and needs on the job and in career advancement.

Job exploration counseling

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn how to support youth in gaining self-awareness.

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) offers a job exploration counseling overview.

The competitive integrated employment toolkit (PDF) from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) includes information and resources for professionals on how to prepare students with disabilities for competitive integrated employment.

 

DO: Work with youth

Find resources to help youth gain self-awareness.

Disability Hub MN's Work toolkit has hands-on person-centered discovery tools to help people explore what work could mean for them. There are tools to help people:

  • Define what is important to them and for them
  • Build their vision for a good job
  • Identify resources and supports
  • Discover what others like and admire about them
  • Discuss personal values
  • And more!
Hands-on tools: Person-centered discovery

One way to begin career conversations with youth is to complete an interest inventory with them and discuss the results. Keep in mind that interest inventories shouldn’t be the only way to learn about youth interests and they may not be appropriate for all youth.

Free interest inventories:

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) provides ideas for job exploration counseling curriculum.

Next: Explore occupations and career possibilities »