Look to Your Future
Transitioning From School to Work

Transcript

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Narrator:
Making the leap from high school to adult life and employment is difficult.
If you have a learning disability, or physical or intellectual challenges, making this transition is even harder.

The South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department can give you the extra boost you need to succeed in the job market, in vocational training, or in college.

Begin by exploring your career options, getting prepared to go to work and learning job-seeking skills.
Gain valuable insights through counseling and experiences shared by speakers from your community and around the state.

Adrianna Lachanos, graduate, Greenville Tech Charter High School:
They prepared me for the coming up to a job. Like... I really didn't know what a resume was. Like, what's on it? Or, how to present myself during an interview.

Whereas, with Kerry [Reece, VR Employment Coach], he'd do mock interviews. He'd have us...fill out these papers to see what kind of learners we are, what kind of employees we would be, who should we kind of--try to work for. And just helped us discover ourselves and what we'd be good in.

Narrator:
Paid work experience as a student is your best path to successful employment as an adult.
Discover your potential through hands-on work experiences, job shadowing, internships and on-the-job tryouts.

Find out what resources are available to you from other youth services agencies.

Learn about your community and how you can be an active participant.

Learn self advocacy, self determination and leadership skills through community experiences, mentoring, and participation in school-sponsored extra-curricular activities.

Your Vocational Rehabilitation counselor works with you, your parents or guardian, school, and others on your team to help you make informed choices about jobs or careers you might want to consider, and to help you achieve your goals.

Travon Carter, graduate, Strom Thurmond High School:
It helped me out so much. I didn't really think I could work with people...in general. And [this] showed me that I can work with people.

I learned that you can't get nothing free. You have to get up every morning, and work for what you want.

So it taught me how to get up and get to work on time.

Narrator:
Other programs you may participate in build on what you learn from these services.

Our Evaluation Center offers a two-week summer Transition Program for rising high school seniors to help you with career planning.

During Disability Mentoring Day you are matched with an employer for a one-on-one job-shadowing experience.

Join students from around the state at the summer Youth Leadership Forum to network, learn from each other, and build lasting friendships while you enhance your leadership, citizenship and social skills.

Alex Parnell, graduate, West Florence High School:
Cheering your teammates on really makes you feel great, and makes you [not] want to quit, and just want to try stuff harder.

And when people are down, it boosts them back up, to their confidence, and say "Wow, this person is really cheering me on. Let me go out there and give 100 percent."

This is teaching me more knowledge about me stepping up, being a leader, and helping people with disabilities like me--to support them and have that extra hand to, like, tell them that, "You can do it." And makes me feel that I can do anything, and willing to step up and be a leader."

Narrator:
There’s no cost for determining if and how we can help you.

A Vocational Rehabilitation counselor is available at your school to assist you.

Or, talk with your teacher, your guidance counselor, or school nurse about getting connected.

You can also contact your local Vocational Rehabilitation office.
Call 1-800-832-7526, 
or visit findus.scvrd.net
to find the office nearest you.

For more information,
visit us on the web at:
schooltowork.sc

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