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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

  1. Minnesota’s Youth in Transition Framework
  2. Educate yourself
  3. Engage families
  4. Support youth
    1. My best life
    2. In(ter)dependent living
    3. Employment
    4. Postsecondary education and training
3

Employment

Work-based learning

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. 

  • Awareness: Career awareness activities are intended to provide students with an initial understanding of work in general and to make them aware of the various career fields and occupations available to them. These activities can begin in elementary school and continue on throughout a student’s academic career. 

  • Exploration: Career exploration activities are intended assist students in developing career readiness skills and to increase their awareness of career options through hands-on experiences. Career exploration activities can begin in middle school and continue on throughout a student’s academic career.

  • Preparation: Career preparation activities are intended to help students develop the technical skills and employability skills needed to be successful in a chosen career field. These experiences provide sustained interactions with industry in real workplace settings. These activities foster in-depth engagement with the tasks required in a given career field and they are aligned to curriculum and instruction.

  • Implementation: Research shows that early paid work experience is a primary predictor of postschool employment success for youth with disabilities. The Minnesota departments of Education (MDE), Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and Human Services (DHS) have a vision that: All students with disabilities have paid competitive integrated employment (CIE) work experience prior to earning their high school diploma.

Work-based learning experiences

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn how to support youth in exploring work-based learning experiences.

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).

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 experiential and work-based learning experiences within the areas of awareness, exploration, and preparation while they are in high school — ultimately implementing the skills learned in a competitive integrated employment work experience before graduation.

There are a variety of experiential and work-based learning experiences, including awareness, exploration, preparation and implementation. Learn about the types in this work-based learning experiences guide (PDF).

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 provides students with instruction at both the school and an employer work-site.

To learn more, check out information about CTE work-based learning on the Minnesota Department of Education website.

<ul><li><p><strong>Seminar class:</strong> A class that includes safety training and career development before starting a work-based learning experience</p></li><li><p><strong>Training agreement:</strong> An agreement between the employer, parents or guardians, school district, and the youth about how the experience will occur</p></li><li><p><strong>Training plan:</strong> An individual set of competencies that the youth will accomplish by the end of the work experience</p></li><li><p><strong>Site observation:</strong> Site safety review and progress check completed by the work-based learning coordinator</p></li><li><p><strong>Student Performance Evaluation:</strong> An employer's assessment of the youth's skills (which may also include the work-based learning coordinator's assessment of skills)</p></li></ul><p></p>
<p>To ensure students are well-prepared to participate in work-based learning programs, they should have multiple, laddered opportunities to participate in experiential learning prior to enrolling in a work-based learning program. Typically, experiential learning activities that support and prepare students for work-based learning are less than 40 hours. If a student is engaged in an experience for more than 40 hours, they must be supervised by a licensed work-based learning coordinator.</p>

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) and State Services for the Blind (SSB) may support work-based learning experiences when school work-based learning services aren't available or don't fully meet the youth's needs.

An initial meeting to review the youth's work-based learning needs should include the youth, parents or guardians, VRS/SSB staff, school staff and the waiver case manager (if applicable).

To learn more, check out information about VRS Student Career Services or SSB Services for Youth on the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development website. 

See the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Child Labor Laws webpage.

DO: Work with youth

Find resources to help youth explore work-based learning experiences.

  • Organize a group of community members (including parents) who can help to identify and recruit local work experience sites.
  • Connect with other local agencies and organizations committed to preparing workforce members, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Lions Clubs, Izaak Walton Leagues, Junior Achievement or iJAG.
  • Build a network of local community-based work experiences, including opportunities for one-day job shadows and longer-term work experiences.
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