About the Program
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) is a a program designed to provide in-school youth with disabilities industry-based career exploration.
Sponsored by the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, both of our programs include individual (1:1) sessions tailored to each student and guest appearances from professionals working in various employment fields to share insight and lessons learned. Our staff also use entertaining examples of work as seen on TV and popular movies to explore work communication and behaviors of success employees.
Community-Based Pre-ETS
Our Community-Based Pre-ETS services invite eligible students to apply for a 4-week work experience in hospitality or retail. Students will be paid during the program for their work. Pre-ETS also includes 12-15 hours of practicing social skills needed in the workplace and includes individualized financial coaching.
Students interested in hospitality will work in the following areas of a local hotel:
- Housekeeping and Maintenance (including Laundry)
- Kitchen Utility supporting food preparation and clean-up
- Banquet logistics including setting-up and breaking-down events
- Landscaping
Students interested in retail will intern at opportunities available at Walgreens or Marshalls Department Store and will:
- Stock and organize shelves
- Provide customer service
- Assist as cash register
- Support merchandising (including organizing, replacing price tags, removing out of day inventory and receiving product)
- Support “back room”, fitting rooms, etc., if applicable
- Monitoring store displays
Eligibility Requirements
- 16 – 21 years old
- Enrolled in school
- Interested in exploring Hospitality or Retail career
Virtual Pre-ETS
Our Virtual Pre-ETS services invite eligible students to experience 6 weeks (or 18 hours) of virtual work experience. In addition, group sessions for students will be held twice per week for 1-hour. Zoom or Microsoft Teams video conferencing must be accessible by phone, laptop or tablet.
Pre-ETS topics include:
- Interview Prep & Skills
- Work Exploration
- Workplace Training
- Career Exploration, including O*Net review
- Time Management
- Requesting Accommodations and Disclosing Disability
- Financial Coaching (Budgeting, Benefits, Credit, Opening Bank Accounts, etc)
Eligibility Requirements
- 16 – 21 years old
- Enrolled in traditional or home school setting
- Interested in exploring “World of Work”
Contact
For more information on our Pre-ETS program in Delaware, visit our Contact Us page or call 302-762-0300.
