Project Description:
Pilot Project Overview
The School to Work Pilot project builds educator capacity and advances systems collaboration when guiding students to secure meaningful community employment. Utah State University and the Utah School to Work project provides foundational Customized Employment training, mentoring, and technical assistance to multi-agency teams supporting three transitioning students. The pilot unfolds over three phases: CE Team Building and Orientation; Discovery Mentoring and Technical Assistance; and Customized Work Mentoring and Technical Assistance. A brief description and core activities for each of these phases are detailed below.
Phase I: Team Building and CE Orientation
Phase 1 launches with the identification of the three student pilot participants. The Utah School to Work project leadership team supports the Utah Deaf Blind Project to identify and recruit diverse students, as well as the multi-agency team members who will support them. Core Phase I activities include:
1. Identify 3 jobseekers/students who are in their last 1-2 years from high school exit
2. Create and define roles and responsibilities for a multi-agency collaboration team, including the student, their family, the transition educator, intervenors, an adult services provider, the DSPD Support Coordinator, and the VR Counselor. Other team members may be included, such as a WIOA Youth Services Coordinator (to couple WIOA youth internships with resources for coaching during internship, if possible).
3. Create and deliver an orientation and specialized training for educators and other team members to delineate roles and responsibilities and discuss key implementation strategies during each phase of the Customized Employment process. The orientation and training strengthen and inform the process for supporting students, both during the pilot project and beyond with working with future students.
Phase Timeline: September 1- December 2021
Prepare for project start and collaborate with administrators.
Work with educators to identify students.
Deliver orientation.
Deliver 20-hour specialized training for educators and other team members.
Phase II: Discovery Mentoring and Technical Assistance
During Phase II, the three multi-agency teams receive mentoring and technical assistance from Utah School to Work and the CE Training and Technical Assistance program to support each student with completing Discovery and identifying three Vocational Themes. Core Phase II activities include:
1. Team meetings occur every 3-4 weeks (at least monthly) to address logistics, coordination of services, and learning sessions that will cover the steps of Discovery and identifying Vocational Themes.
2. Students and their teams plan for and complete Discovery-related activities between team meetings.
3. School to Work and CE Training staff (USU) provides case consultation and demonstration, including home visits, that build capacity for sustainable collaboration among schools, adult provider agencies, families and other stakeholders augmenting a seamless transition from school to employment. Case consultation will be provided offsite through virtual meetings and phone calls, and onsite support as needed.
Phase II Outcomes reflect the individual goals of each participating student and may include any of the following:
a. All students enrolled receive Discovery services, including a home visit with family, determination of their Vocational Themes, and a vocational profile.
b. Students, depending on their emerging plan, conduct employer interviews and targeted career exploration steps to better determine the Ideal Conditions of Employment and potential Job Match for each.
c. Students, depending on their plan, are offered community service opportunities to learn real-time vocational & soft skills, and/or paid work, in-school job exploration, community job exploration, summer-youth employment & both paid and short-term unpaid internships (in partnership with the Workforce system), et al.
d. All students (with team member support) develop a digital pictorial resume or other marketing materials for each student to augment job development efforts.
e. The Customized Employment specialist will facilitate a Customized Employment planning meeting with the students support team. This meeting is an opportunity for team members to provide feedback and collaborate in the customized job development planning process.
Phase Timeline January-April 2022
Team meetings every 3-4 weeks (no less than monthly)
Mentoring calls every 2 weeks with employment specialist
Onsite consultation
Phase III: Customized Work Mentoring and Technical Assistance
During Phase III, the three multi-agency teams receive mentoring and technical assistance from School to Work and the CE Training and TA program at USU to support each student with securing paid work experiences or paid employment. Through this program, students will engage in Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) as outlined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, including job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences (summer and after school jobs, internships, competitive and integrated), counseling on post-school/higher education opportunities, self-advocacy training, etc. Core Phase III activities include:
1. Team meetings occur every 3-4 weeks (at least monthly) to address logistics and coordination of services. Meetings include learning sessions that cover the steps of Customized Job Development.
2. Students and their teams plan for and complete Customized Job Development activities between team meetings.
3. USU staff provides case consultation and demonstration, including informational interviews and interest-based negotiation, that build capacity for sustainable collaboration among schools, adult provider agencies, families and other stakeholders augmenting a seamless transition from school to employment. Case consultation will be provided offsite through virtual meetings and phone calls, plus onsite as requested/needed.
4. Team members complete a post-project survey about customized employment.
Phase Timeline April 2022 June 2022
Team meetings every 3-4 weeks (no less than monthly)
Mentoring calls every 2 weeks with employment specialist
Onsite consultation
Team Support
The educator team lead will play a critical role with supporting each team. In some situations, paraeducators may also play a critical role. These team members must dedicate time outside of their normal job duties to participate in trainings and meetings. The Utah School to Work Project/USU proposes to pay each educator team lead a stipend of $1,000 and up to two team paraeducators/interveners up to $500 for their participation. Additionally, the adult provider agencys employment specialist may need to spend time participating in meetings not covered by their funder. GHA proposes to pay each adult provider agency a $1000 stipend for their participation.
The School to Work Project will also award each students school and/or transition stakeholder up to $1,000 to establish a Fast-Start fund for the project to pay for off-budget Discovery activities, tools/technology or incidentals that get someone to work without waiting for other systems to make approvals.
Project Budget
Phase I Activities
Develop and Deliver 20 hour Customized Employment course tailored to educators and para educators $5000
Phase II Activities (No Cost)
Built into School to Work grant and CE Training for providers
Phase III Activities (No Cost)
Built into School to Work grant and CE training for providers
Stipends (educator team lead, intervener, and adult provider agency) $4500
Fast Start $500
Subtotal $10,000
