The Workshop Training Program gives students with disabilities the chance to become immersed in everyday community-based experiences, and learn both “hard” and “soft” skills as they transition into the workplace and life.

Fifth-, sixth- and seventh-year students are interns, placed in one of a variety of employment partnerships at sites such as large retail stores, grocery stores and restaurants. Along with learning job skills, the students are also taught every day skills.

Students go on excursions to places such as the Motor Vehicle Commission, where they wait in line to obtain a non-driver state identification. They work out at local fitness centers, satisfying physical education requirements, and learning the skill of managing themselves in a public locker room and facility.

The program, begun in 2011, also includes assessment of the students’ employability skills such as work habits/attitudes, cognitive skills and performance. The main objective is for students with disabilities to attain and maintain employment at the highest level possible.

The program is funded locally and through a grant from the Monmouth County Division of Workforce Development.

Information

Contact: Renee Davis, director of special services, [email protected]

Online: http://staging.njsba.org/news-publications/school-leader/julyaugust-2014-volume-45-1/innovations-in-special-education-2014-winners/

Recognized by the 2014 Innovations in Special Education program