Compass, a College Success @ Perkins program, is a nine-month virtual program that prepares 9th through 11th grade students with visual impairments for college while working with three members of the learning triad: students, families, and TVIs. The program is aligned with each of the five tenets of Pre-Employment Transition Services.
Summary of Pre-ETS Services
Job Exploration Counseling
Participants will receive job exploration counseling by:
- Discussing trends in the labor market, in-demand industries/occupations, and non-traditional career options
- Exploring employment pathways of interest
- Hearing from visually impaired and typically sighted speakers who work in various occupational fields
- Completing a career interest inventory that provides insight into vocational paths
- Responding to a work personality evaluation to determine the traits, characteristics, attitudes, and values that make up their work personalities
- Completing a discrepancy analysis that compares their job interests and perceived abilities to the skills and qualifications necessary to be successful in various positions
Work-Based Learning Experiences
Participants will receive work-based learning experiences by:
- Conducting informational interviews
- Participating in career mentorship
- Following workplace guidelines with respect to attendance, punctuality, professionalism, and productivity.
Counseling on Experiences for Enrollment in Comprehensive Transition or Post-Secondary Educational Programs and Institutions of Higher Education
Participants will receive higher education counseling by:
- Documenting academic accommodations
- Advocating for needed accommodations and services
- Identifying interests, abilities, talents, learning preferences, and goals
- Promoting use of executive functioning skills
- Learning about educational and vocational laws
- Identifying technology needs
- Selecting admission test accommodations
- Receiving guidance on a variety of post-secondary education and training opportunities
Workplace readiness training
Students will participate in work-place readiness training by:
- Receiving feedback and self-reflecting on their communication, attitude, active listening, body language, professionalism, and other critical soft skills
- Participating in group activities designed to promote leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving/decision-making skills
- Learning to identify causes of conflicts and finding resolutions to them
- Creating and implementing an action plan to develop skills in independent living, orientation and mobility, and financial literacy
Instruction in Self-Advocacy
Participants will develop their self-advocacy skills by:
- Learning about their rights and responsibilities as citizens with disabilities
- Practicing how to discuss their disability and necessary accommodations
- Learning about their skills, interests, and abilities
- Gaining experiences and acquiring skills to build their confidence and sense-of-self
- Having opportunities to ask for help or decline assistance