Work Study

Coordinator	Wally Nelson
Supervisor:	This program falls under the general supervision of the superintendent
Purpose:	To provide special education students with opportunities to develop skills and behaviors to become independent and productive employees and contributing members of society. Research has indicated that students with special needs require meaningful work experiences in an actual work setting in order to develop employment related interpersonal skills such as work habits, attitudes, and effective communication that most individuals learn incidentally. The Work Study program will assist students in exploring career choices related to aptitude and interest, develop job-seeking and interviewing skills, and develop appropriate work-related behaviors which can be generalized to any work setting.
Goals:	To provide students with opportunities to develop the necessary skills to become independent, self-supporting members of society. To develop a relationship with local and state agencies to provide additional services for the goal of employment. To provide students with an opportunity to determine the abilities that hold the most promise for developing into a career. To develop a system by which students and parents actively participate in planning for the child's transition from school-to-work and independent living. To develop partnerships with local businesses in the planning, experience, and placement of students in the working community.	Strategies toward achieving goals: Strategies toward achieving Work-Study goals consist of providing students with opportunities to explore career interests through assessments, controlled work experiences within the school environment, community work experiences, and collaborative efforts with local agencies.
Deliverables:	The Work Study program offers a variety of options and strategies to provide meaningful work experiences for students. These services begin at school level and progress to the community. Service delivery begins in the school environment with a vocational assessment to determine what interest the individual has relating to his or her career direction. Students are exposed to the "world of work" through in-school, internship, and community based work experiences.
Legislative Mandates: