Nebraska VR Pre-Employment Transition Services Coordinators work with schools and other organizations across the state to help students, aged 14 to 21, plan for the future and prepare for careers that match their skills, abilities, and interests.
The scope of Nebraska VR Pre-Employment Transition Services is to provide students with exposure to various jobs and career paths through exploration activities. In coordination with your school and businesses in your community, you will gain skills and abilities to be successful after high school.
Job Exploration Explore vocational interests in consideration of your skills, interests, and abilities through vocational interest inventory activities. Learn about the labor market, in demand jobs, and non-traditional employment options.
Work Readiness Training Learn habits, attitudes, and behaviors for work and skills for living independently, budgeting, and transportation. Practice skills for job seeking and interacting with supervisors and co-workers.
Work-Based Learning Experiences Explore various types of work. Learn what it takes to be an employee through hands-on work, job shadows, mock interviews, and business tours in the community.
Post-Secondary Education Counseling Explore post-secondary training and education opportunities. Assist in the admission and enrollment process. Identify resources for supporting student success in a training program.
Instruction in Self-Advocacy Practice communication skills to express your specific needs related to disability on the job and explore accommodations for post-secondary training and work.
Keep reading to learn the next steps on the path to achieving meaningful employment!
Find the Pre-Employment Transition Services Coordinator who works with your school.
Benefits Counseling
Benefits counseling is provided throughout the process to explain how working will affect your federal, state, and local benefits.
Informed Decisions
We encourage and expect your involvement in the planning process so you can make informed decisions about your goals and the best way for you to achieve them.
Communication and Follow-Through
Regular communication, keeping appointments, and follow through with your responsibilities is important to stay on track.
As you exit high school eligibility, or in some cases before, you will be referred to a Nebraska VR Employment Specialist who helps adults prepare for, find, and keep jobs.
Once your information is shared, you will have an orientation or initial meeting to complete an application and discuss goals and employment objectives, education, training, medical, social, and other factors that may impact your path.
Next, eligibility is determined. This is a requirement where Nebraska VR must document your disability through medical or education records and how your disability affects your ability to work.
After you have been determined eligible for VR services, your Employment Specialist will help you develop an individualized plan for employment or IPE.
The IPE includes:
The goal of the services identified in your IPE is to prepare you for success in employment. Some services will be provided by your Employment Specialist. Other services may be provided by community partners.
Examples of Nebraska VR services include:
Once you are ready to work, your Employment Specialist will help identify job openings matching your job goal. They will work with you in completing applications, creating resumes, interviewing, and advocating. Changes to the job site or assistive devices to be successful on the job will be addressed once you are hired.
Once you are hired and have worked for at least 90 days, you and your Employment Specialist will discuss successful closure of your case. Once your case is closed, if you encounter challenges due to disability down the road, want to advance your career, or if you lose your job, contact your Employment Specialist to re-apply for services. A simple solution may be all that is needed to help you be successful.
Contact a Service Office for more information!
The Pathway to Employment Video Series is designed to de-mystify the many services provided to clients and businesses while highlighting the innovation that is the culture of Nebraska VR. While certainly each story is either one of progress towards an employment goal or a client's employment goal success, they are also stories about the important role played by staff members, businesses, ATP, Easterseals, Project SEARCH, and others. Go to: vr.nebraska.gov/videos/