Assessment Toolkit

Summer Employment

Summer is an ideal time to help students gain work experience, either paid or unpaid. These work experiences help students make connections with different people, practice social skills, and fine tune career skills (like interviewing and managing tasks). There are many options for what students can do during the summer while still maintaining a “break” from school.

The Role of The Transition Team In Preparing Students for Summer Work

The transition team should help students explore what summer employment can look like, including:

Talking with the students about interests, strengths, needs and preferences for working
Supporting the students to research different summer programs and jobs within the community
Filling out various applications for summer jobs, and practicing for job interviews
Identifying transportation needs to get to and from a summer job

Let’s hear about the benefits of summer employment from the perspectives of students and employers

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Summer Employment

OVR has relationships with community employers to provide summer work experiences. Summer job programs typically last five to seven weeks and provide work opportunities to students who otherwise might struggle to find jobs. Summer work programs provide:

A stipend or paycheck
Structured work experience within their community
Support from a worksite training coordinator

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Summer Employment Image

What Can Summer Work Experiences Do For Students?

Summer employment is a great way to make connections with different people, practice social skills, and fine tune career skills.

Career Skills

Students learn skills such as creating a resume, completing a job application, interview skills, and managing responsibilities at work.

Social Skills

Students are given the opportunity to interact with peers and coworkers and learn to navigate various conversations and situations, as well as the skills needed to be a team player in the workplace.

Networking

Students build relationships with people in a professional setting who’s varied experiences and knowledge can support future job exploration.

Paid Employment

“Work Based Learning Experiences have been shown to be one of the strongest predictors of adult employment success for students and youth with disabilities.” --The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.