Our Team

We work together with local school districts to customize vocational-career/transition services that meet the needs of each district and their students. Utilizing resources within school districts as well as facilitating the access to adult service agencies are crucial aspects of creating transition programs that work. Through collaborating with school administration and faculty we hope to give each student the best opportunity for a successful transition that not only links school to work, but students to careers.

One of our many customized service models is Career Links, which was created through a collaborative effort involving school administrators, faculty, and adult service agencies. The Career Links model is being utilized by school districts to help serve students who are in need of work experience in the community. The goal of Career Links is to help students make a seamless transition from school to work and we help them achieve this goal by linking students to community employers.

The Career Links model of service focuses on three key aspects of service delivery:

1. Customized services using a menu approach

2. Active employer participation

3. Scheduled services by appointment

Some of the services in Career Links are:

• Career planning

•  Employment preparation-how to complete job applications, mock interviews, resumes

•  Functional work assessments

•  Student portfolio development

•  Direct job placement

Employer involvement is essential to the success of the students; therefore the employers themselves complete assessments. The features of Career Links have been built into the program in order to mitigate possible pitfalls and maximize opportunities for student success.
 

Transition from School to Work Story

Work Opportunities Unlimited supplements a student’s education with a community-based career program. Working with the Pupil Evaluation Team (PET), we create a customized program that will enable the student to enter the world of work. Among the strategies we employ are company tours and temporary work experiences, as well as permanent employment.

Jenny’s Story: Jenny’s school district contacted Work Opportunities Unlimited to create a program for her, focusing on community integration and environment exploration. The goal—long-term employment. The first steps were to identify a staff person and implement a program using work assessments and targeting community access. The first year, Jenny worked successfully at a company, supervised one-on-one by her CRS. The next step was to develop a new job that addressed Jenny’s progress and desire for greater challenges.