Job Coach -A job coach is a professional or paraprofessional who provides individual or group assistance to a student in work experience, travel training, and skill training at a work site. The job coach frequently provides assessment feedback to the student's IEP team which in turn, drives future decisions regarding the need for further exploration, assessment, training and education. (Pattan)
Community Based Instruction - Regularly scheduled educational experiences conducted outside the school setting to assist the student with making everyday life decisions.
Examples of CBI: Students may gain exposure to and experiences with ordering food at a restaurant, standing in line, grocery shopping, locating and using a post office, use of public transportation, using money skills , and developing leisure activities.
Job Sampling- The purpose of job sampling is to provide students with a broad overview of careers or career pathways. Students who participate in a job sampling experience may sample a variety of work places with a concentration on a specific career or they may sample a number of careers within one work environment. In either experience, students are able to sample the various work environments to determine whether or not he /she may need to explore the environment a little more in depth.
Typically, students are referred for job sampling experiences by the IEP Team in thespring of their 10th grade. Students may not expect to job shadow until their junior or senior year of high school. Job sampling experiences may take place over one or two days as determined by the student’s demonstrated need, schedule, availability of employers, and appropriate work sites.
Examples of Job Sampling Experiences: Engineering: Students interested in an engineering career may spend one or two days sampling various careers within engineering such as mechanical, drafting, civil, software, or chemical engineering. Culinary: Students interested in culinary careers may sample kitchens in a fast food restaurant, a local hotel chain restaurant, a four star restaurant or a cruise ship. Medical: Students interested in a medical career may sample various medical environments and the careers associated within each environment such a hospital, doctor’s office, research laboratory, emergency medical technicians etc.
Job Sampling in one environment- Students who are interested in working in a hospital environment but may not have developed the academic strengths to support their desire to become a doctor, may wish to explore other careers within the hospital environment such as the cafeteria, laundry, dietary department, ultra-sound technician, nurse aide, registered nursing, radiology technician, data entry or office worker, etc..
Job Shadow-The purpose of job shadowing is to increase students awareness of careers, employer expectations, training required to seek employment and to reinforce the link between classroom learning and the world of work. Students may spend the day with professionals who share their passion for a given career and experience the career in a real-world context. Job
shadowing opportunities should be based upon the data collected such as the
individual student’s preferences, interests and ability.Exploration can be a direct result of students career cruising, data gathered from completing an electronic career search, tests, etc. Decisions should be made based on extensive data collection. Students may access and complete the required job shadowing forms from the Peters Township High School Counseling Services web-page under Graduation Project Resources.Click here to take you directly to the site. Students are strongly encouraged to contact community professionals to establish a mutually agreeable date and time for their job shadowing experience.
Job Shadowing usually occurs in ½ or ¾ day increments and varies based upon the demonstrated need of the student and availability of the employer. Recommendations for job shadowing are typically made by the IEP Team based on assessment and student interest. Students are encouraged to participate in at least one job shadowing experience during their junior or senior year.
** It is important to note that community-based-instruction, job sampling, shadowing, and other related experiences may be limited by limitations imposed upon the employer by their insurance carrier.
Agency Linkages: Transition / IEP Teams are strongly encouraged to assist students with making connections with outside agencies such as involvement in with these agencies is considered an entitlement while still enrolled in high school. After graduation, students no longer automatically qualify under IDEA, opening a case and gaining such services may take a longer period of time. Such agencies include Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, MHMR, Social Security, Career Link, Work-Force Investment Board, Special Kids Network, etc.