Students with a wide range of abilities benefit from support with employability skills, showcasing their strengths and advocating for accommodations to overcome barriers. Students with disabilities experience physical, learning, language, or behavioral challenges that continue beyond school into adulthood and can make it difficult for them to gain competitive employment. However, they are amazing assets to the jobs and careers they choose to pursue and can improve their job skills and achieve their goals with a little extra help and encouragement.
Clackamas Education Service District’s Transition Network Facilitation program works with educators in five counties to help students with developmental disabilities ages 16 to 21 shift from school to integrated, competitive employment. The program shares best practices, strategies and curriculum that help students explore vocations, gain work experience and set post-secondary goals.
On May 26, our Transition Network Facilitator Kriss Rita collaborated with the Transition Technical Assistance Network to host a Student Summit in Hood River focused on developing employment and leadership skills in students with disabilities.
The summit taught students how to build a strong resume, develop elevator speeches that highlight their best qualities and accomplishments and articulate their employment goals. The students also had an opportunity to practice their interview skills with the special education directors from the Molalla River and Hood River Valley School Districts and members of the local business community, including Exceed Enterprises, Community Access Services and Umpqua Bank.
The tips and constructive feedback helped students identify what they could do to improve.
One student remarked, “I learned that I need to give more eye contact,” while another acknowledged, “I need to work on my handshake.”
In addition to learning about crafting the perfect resume and elevator speech and practicing their interview skills, students explored six different jobs in the hotel industry on tours led by Best Western Plus Hood River employees. Best Western’s executive chef gave a keynote speech at lunchtime.
“My favorite part of the day was taking the tour,” one student reported.
More than 50 students attended the summit, coming from the Canby, Lake Oswego and Molalla River school districts in Clackamas County and the Hood River and The Dalles school districts.
In addition to improving their employability, the summit was a welcome opportunity for students to make connections with other students across the region.
“The Student Summit was beneficial to our students, giving them an experience where they left their regular space of learning to engage, network with others and be exposed to a world of work that lends new perspective,” commented Molalla River Special Education Director Michael Salitore.
The 2022 Student Summit was funded by the Oregon Department of Education and the State of Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Additional summits across the state have reached students in every corner of Oregon, with plans for many more in the future.
“The Student Summit took a great deal of teamwork, collaboration, and efforts from many people. And it was all worth it,” expressed Kriss Rita. “This experience filled my cup!”
