The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV of the Workforce Investment Opportunities Act (WIOA) of 2014, defines Competitive Integrated Employment as, "work that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis for which an individuals is: (a) compensated at or above minimum wage or commensurate with individuals without disabilities…

School counselors are charged with addressing the career development and transition needs of all students (American School Counseling Association [ASCA], 2005), yet research has revealed that not all school counselors are involved in postsecondary transition planning for students with disabilities. This exploratory study examined high school…

The New Mexico Next Step Plan, a postsecondary career transition plan for grades 8 through 12, aims to enhance relationships between all educational stakeholders: students, parents/caregivers, community, and administrators. These stakeholder relationships are intended to close the achievement gap among all students, in particular, ethnic youth.…

This monograph, written for vocational counselors and teachers, addresses employability for youth from both career counseling and guidance and transitional education perspectives. The section on employability counseling focuses on the ingredients of employability, youth employment conditions, classes of employment and unemployment, and…

A forced change in employment status means the impact on the worker and immediate family can be devastating. Assisting workers during this transition period is an important adult career counseling task. They must see the journey back to satisfying work as a series of planned adjustments. (CH)

Although in the past farmers have not been a traditional client group for personal and career counselors, the recent financial plight of farm families has resulted in farmers being identified as a special target group by the Canadian government. Programs, such as the Canadian Rural Transition Program (CRTP), have been established to provide…

This article reviews recent literature highlighting the challenges associated with the college-to-work transition and proposes a model for understanding the experience of workplace entry for new graduates. This model outlines three stages of development in the transition process, namely (a) anticipation, (b) adjustment, and (c) achievement, and…

This monograph contains summaries of the following 19 programs for providing career guidance to high-risk persons participating in a Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program: Youth Employment Curriculum and Competencies (Boise, Idaho); Career Mentoring Program for the Disadvantaged (Grayslake, Illinois); Partners in Skills for Career/Vocational…

To successfully make the transition from school to adult life and the world of work, adolescents and young adults need guidance and encouragement from caring, supportive adults. The best decisions and choices made by transitioning youth are based on sound information including appropriate assessments that focus on the talents, knowledge, skills,…

This paper discusses the authors' experiences with organizing and running groups for clients in career transition, whether that be a completely new career or a job search. One key to successful groups is organization, especially finding the right mix of members. They can have similar or different goals, but must be well matched for ego-strength.…

A qualitative case study approach with individual and focus group interviews identified senior enlisted Army soldiers' primary motivations and perceived barriers to postsecondary education participation. The 92 interviewees shared these common characteristics: they were enlisted soldiers, were older, attended college part time, worked full time,…

The longitudinal study in this article tested whether advantages in the career development of high school seniors resulted in better transition outcomes for these young adults 3 years after they graduated from high school. Enhanced career development in high school was significantly connected to more successful transitions into the adult roles of…

This manual contains basic information to guide vocational counselors for special populations as they work with students enrolled in vocational programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. It begins with a brief overview of the role of the vocational counselor for special populations. The survey, the responses to which formed the basis of…

This vocational program book is intended to assist vocational rehabilitation counselors in moving toward the goal of community employment for people with autism. The first section considers vocational issues for this population and discusses the following: autism and work, educational experiences/programming, vocational evaluations, purposes of…

This article examines the role of the vocational counselor in the job-seeking process for learning-disabled adults. It covers assessment of clients' interests and abilities and matching with job opportunities; teaching of job-seeking skills; use of volunteer jobs to assess clients' work habits; job-hunting procedures; and dealing with work…