How can the youth see and try out work?
Work-based learning is an educational strategy that helps youth explore what they've learned in the classroom in a real-world context. All youth with disabilities should be offered a full range of work-based learning experiences while they're in high school, including coaching to learn how to perform specific tasks if needed. Studies show that youth who have paid work experiences during high school are more likely to have work success as adults.
Work-based learning may include in-school or after school opportunities, or experience outside the traditional school setting provided in an integrated environment (to the maximum extent possible). All opportunities for work-based learning experiences in integrated settings must be exhausted before placing a person in a nonintegrated setting.
To ensure in-depth student engagement, direct employer or community involvement is a critical component of work-based learning. These opportunities are meant to engage, motivate and augment the learning process.
If a student with a disability needs support to participate in a work-based learning experience, a coach should be assigned to help the student learn to perform any assigned tasks.
Ideally, all students with disabilities receive a full range of work-based learning experiences within the areas of awareness, exploration, preparation and implementation while they are in high school — ultimately leading to a competitive integrated work experience or youth apprenticeship before graduation.
There are a variety of work-based learning experiences, including awareness, exploration, preparation and implementation. Learn about the types in this work-based learning experiences guide (PDF).
If work-based learning experiences are paid, youth with disabilities must be paid the same wages as youth without disabilities completing similar experiences. Wages should also be paid at the prevailing rate (or the comparable local wage for similar work).
Training stipends are allowed for youth with disabilities participating in unpaid work-based learning experiences as long as they're equivalent to stipends paid to youth without disabilities participating in these experiences.
Special Education funds may not be used to pay youth wages for any work-based learning experience.
Minnesota secondary schools are encouraged (although not required) to have formalized work-based learning programs available to all youth, including youth with disabilities. These programs are referred to as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and must be approved by the Minnesota Department of Education. Approved school work-based learning involves a licensed teacher with a work-based learning coordinator endorsement license (or out-of-field permission) who closely supervises the worksite activities and is responsible for all the required activities and paperwork.
It's important for Vocational Rehabilitation Services staff to partner with school work-based learning coordinators to ensure that youth receive individualized work-based learning placements in the community.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) and State Services for the Blind (SSB) can support work-based learning experiences when school work-based learning services aren't available or don't fully meet the youth's needs.
All youth with disabilities should be referred to VRS or SSB. An initial meeting to review the youth's work-based learning needs should include the youth, parents or guardians, VRS staff, school staff and the waiver case manager (if applicable).
VRS/SSB typically engage contracted Pre-employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) service providers to help develop and support work-based learning experiences. Youth and their parents or guardians are encouraged to select their preferred local Pre-ETS service provider.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry provides the basics about state and federal labor laws in this 20-minute training video.
Review the pathways to employment training module from Transition Tennessee for tips on ensuring effective early work experiences for students.
Review the introduction to early work experiences training module from Transition Tennessee for tips on addressing the impact of aspirations and expectations on future competitive integrated employment, and why it's never too early for students to engage in work experiences.
