Students With Disabilities Receive Summer Work Experience

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(Columbus) – Summer Youth Work Experiences for students with disabilities have been taking place throughout Ohio this summer to help lay the foundation for their future careers. The program provides students with a disability (ages 14-21) the opportunity to explore the world of work and gain on-the-job training. 

More than 2,600 students across the state are participating in summer jobs, with additional younger students being supported to explore and prepare for their first job experiences. 

Summer work experiences help students build confidence and learn essential skills in a job setting. Youth are assigned to work sites based on their interests and abilities. While working at job sites, students receive support from a job coach and earn minimum wage.  

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) give students with disabilities, as young  as age 14, an early start in exploring career interests. Five core services include Job Exploration Counseling, Work-Based Learning, Counseling on Post-Secondary Opportunities, Workplace Readiness Training, and Instruction in Self-Advocacy. 

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Director Kevin Miller said, “Summer Youth Work Experiences offer so much more than just a paycheck. These provide young individuals with supported opportunities to gain essential life skills, develop a strong work ethic, and prepare for their futures.”  

OOD works with 75 vocational rehabilitation providers throughout the state to offer Summer Youth Work Experiences. “We couldn’t make these positive experiences possible without our providers,” explained Jay Burns with the OOD Provider and Contract Management Unit. “They provide the students with structure and helpful pointers along the way.” 

Sherrilee Case is the Manager of Mission and Career Services for Goodwill Akron. “This is a great experience for students to have their first involvement in the work world,” Sherrilee said. “Students get a chance to practice basic work skills and an opportunity to try out a type of job that they might be interested in working in the future. The experience can be used on a resume, and they also get a job reference from the job coach.” 

“Involvement in the program gives students knowledge regarding specific jobs which will then help them make employment decisions,” said Tammy McElhaney, Owner of Blue Sky Employment Consulting LLC. “The success they experience while in this program gives them confidence in their ability to work as well as it fills them with a sense of pride regarding their employment accomplishments.” 

David Volak is the Executive Director of Step By Step Employment & Training, Inc. He explained, “It is truly amazing to see the youth at work, two to three years down the road after Summer Youth Work Experiences. They’ve progressed to more hours, greater pay, and career advancement opportunities.” 

If you have a child 14 years or older with a disability, reach out to OOD for more information on how we can help your child with career exploration, skill development, and strategies to get a job and/or attend post-secondary education after graduation. Counselors begin talking with students and their parents about next summer’s opportunities starting in the fall. To find out more, visit the OOD Students 14+ webpage.