Career Experiences: 9-12   (#7980120)

Version Description

Purpose



The purpose of this course is to enable students with disabilities to further develop knowledge and skills to select career options, access community resources, and apply work-related behaviors through guided practice and experiences in school and community work settings. Non-paid community-based vocational education (non-paid CBVE) training programs are typically implemented through this course.

Course Requirements



Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy



1.   Apply appropriate self-determination and self-advocacy strategies in a variety of school and community work settings.

Career Planning



2.   Evaluate own interests and aptitudes related to postsecondary education/training and employment.



3.   Select postsecondary education/training and employment options based on identified skills, preferences, and interests.



4.   Use transition assessment results to update and revise personal career plan, including postsecondary education/training and employment goals.

Employability Skills



5.   Demonstrate competencies to apply for a targeted job, including completing the job application (electronic or paper), updating personal resume, and participating in mock job interviews.



6.   Demonstrate effective work habits and ethical behavior in school and community work settings.



7.   Demonstrate appropriate attire and personal care skills to meet demands of a variety of school and community work settings.

Community Resources and Agencies Related to Employment



8.   Describe community resources and agencies that assist with employment, such as the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and service providers.



9.   Demonstrate the ability to navigate the community using public and private transportation.

Rights, Benefits, and Responsibilities of Employment



10. Describe legal rights that apply to persons with disabilities in school, community, and workplace, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and child labor laws.



11. Explain benefits related to employment, such as health insurance, workers’ compensation, leave time, retirement options, and Social Security.

Workplace Competencies



12. Demonstrate work-related skills, including the use of technology, tools, and equipment, at selected job sites.



13. Apply decision-making and problem-solving processes used in school and community work settings. 



14. Demonstrate competencies for employment in a variety of school and community work settings.



15. Follow health and safety requirements in a variety of school and community work settings.



16. Apply effective communication skills (verbal, written, nonverbal) in school and community work settings.

General Notes

This is the second of a three-course series designed to prepare students for employment. The first course, Career Preparation (Course Number 7980110), focuses on the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills for making career choices. The second course, Career Experiences (Course Number 7980120), provides opportunities for application of the knowledge and skills in school or community work experience situations with supervision and instructional assistance. The third course involves training through paid employment in Career Placement (Course Number 7980130) or Supported Competitive Employment (Course Number 7980150), depending on the student’s needs for support. It is suggested, but not required, that students take all three courses in the series.

This course includes non-paid community-based vocational education involving exploration, assessment, and training. Instructional activities that include practical applications of course requirements may occur in naturalistic work settings in the school and community for the purposes of practice, generalization, and further development of skills.

As a general rule, students participating in non-paid CBVE should not spend more than the allocated hours described below in a single job description/classification during any one school year:

• Vocational exploration—up to five hours per job experienced
  
  The student observes the job and talks with employees. Any actual work trial in this phase should be very brief and limited and under the direct supervision of school personnel.
  
  
  
  
• Vocational assessment—up to 90 hours per job experienced
  
  The student performs work assignments in various businesses (employment settings) under the direct supervision of school personnel and employees of the business. Assessment data are systematically collected on the student’s interests, aptitudes, needs, learning styles, work habits, behaviors, personal and social skills, values and attitudes, and stamina.

• Vocational training—up to 120 hours per job experienced

The student is placed in various employment settings for work experience. The students, parents, and school personnel should develop a detailed, written training plan that includes the competencies to be acquired, the method(s) of instruction to be used and the procedures for the evaluation of the training experience. The purpose of this component is to enable students to develop the competencies and behaviors needed to secure and maintain paid employment.

The U.S. Department of Labor considers a complex series of factors and criteria for the legal determination as to whether or not the activities of the students at the CBVE placement site would result in an immediate advantage to the business that could trigger a violation of the FLSA. For more information, refer to Non-Paid Community-Based Vocational Educational (CBVE) Programs (Technical Assistance Paper FY 2006–2), Florida Department of Education available at https://www.fldoe.org/ese/tap-home.asp. 

A student may earn multiple credits in this course. The particular course requirements that students should master to earn each credit must be specified on an individual basis. Multiple credits may be earned sequentially or simultaneously. 

This course is designed to reflect a range of abilities within the population of students with disabilities. Course requirements may be modified based on individual needs.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE RESOURCES

• Click to download the scope and sequence as a Microsoft Word document
• Click to download the scope and sequence as an Adobe PDF document

English Language Development (ELD) Standards Special Notes Section:

Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.   For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/si.pdf.

Qualifications

As well as any certification requirements listed on the course description, the following qualifications may also be acceptable for the course:

Any career/technical field or coverage (any career/technical coverage, degreed or non-degreed, that is listed in the CCD).