Cole is a high school student and wanted to start building work experience. He needed help finding a job. So, he enrolled in the School to Work Program at Goodwill. This program helps students with developmental disabilities find a job before they graduate. And they get connected with adult support services. This helps students be more prepared for adult life.
He also enrolled in the School to Life post high school transitions program at his high school. This program helps students who have a disability get help with learning new job skills, mobility practice, daily living skills, communication and advocacy skills, and more. This program prepares students for what they want to do next after graduating from the public school system. So, Cole took the steps to get as much support as he could to prepare him for life after high school.
The discovery process
Cole’s employment goal was to be a dishwasher. Goodwill’s employment specialist and Cole researched the requirements for a dishwashing position. And they watched videos of people in that position to learn what skills he would need to gain. This is part of the program’s discovery process. The discovery process helps people learn about different types of work by watching people do the job.
Once Cole had a better understanding of what a dishwasher does, he realized he wasn’t as interested in that job. Instead, he wanted to focus on food prep work. So, Cole and his employment specialist visited different restaurants and spoke to different hiring managers about food prep positions. He learned a lot. He knew he would gain the right skills if he could practice.
Achieving personal goals
Then, Cole got offered a food prep position at a fast-food restaurant. He was excited to start working. He was happy to be making his own money so he could help his family.
Cole is grateful for the support he got from Goodwill and the School to Life program at his school. He’s happy to be working. Since getting help from Goodwill, he has gained more independence. He is set to graduate in 2023. When his classmates heard about Cole achieving his employment goal, they all cheered for him when he returned to school.