Basic Information

Transition service from School to Work

Transition from School to Work

• The transition service offers support and counseling for young people with disabilities and disadvantages at the transition from school into professional life.

Aims

• to show juveniles vocational prospects• to provide a basis for decision making and a

realistic approach for a vocational integration

Target Group

Juveniles at the transition from school to work, at the age from 13 to 24 years, with special needs: • learning disabilities (special school curriculum)

and Intellectual/cognitive disabilities• physically handicaps and multiple disabilities• hearing and/or vision impairment• social needs, emotionally disturbed and behavioral

disorders• mental illness and autism

Scale of Service

• Development of an aptitude and interest profile • Analyses of strengths and weaknesses• Clarification of the need for additional training• Demonstration of vocational prospects based on

the aptitude and interest profile• Elaboration of a development and career-plan

Methods

• Counseling sessions with the juvenile• Consultation of school-teachers and parents• Assessment of strengths and interests• Offering work experience • Initiation of a circle of support • Person centered planning with involvement of

teachers, family members, friends…• Collection of necessary information in a transition

portfolio• Writing a transition report and development plan

with recommendations for the next

StaffStaff should have vocational background with … • Social work (knowledge of legal system and labor market) • Pedagogic/special education/inclusive education• Psychology, particularly developmental psychology• Ability to communicate and to work in a team• Several years of professional experience, best with juveniles

and in commercial area• Project experience (organization of processes) and

networking know how• Knowledge of the regional infrastructure• Knowledge of counseling techniques

Setting

• The counselor is one primary contact person• The process should be completed within max. 6

months (for the vocational integration another 6 months can be added)

• One fulltime counselor (40h/w): 50 finished transition reports a year

• The service is mobile: The meetings can be held in the counseling center, at school, at home, at the firm of the internship – according to the current requirement

• The transition service is voluntary an free

The Process of Transition• Getting started - first contact September/October

• Getting to know the juvenile – collection of information in a transition port folio October/November

• Building a circle of support – holding a person centered meeting November/December

• Arranging vocational training/internship December/January

• Developing a career plan – writing a transition report Final consultation February/March

vocational life

school

The Process of Transition: Step by Step: Step 1

Getting started - first contact

September/October • initial contact in collaboration with school

teachers in the last • grade of compulsory school • building a relationship with the juvenile• offering and collecting basic information• concluding a written agreement

Getting to know the juvenile – collection of information in a transition port folio

October/November• talking and collecting information by means of

material and worksheets• assessing competences and interests with

standardized and • non-standardized tasks and psychometric

procedures

The Process of Transition: Step by Step: Step 2

Building a circle of support – holding a person centered meeting

November/December• Inviting teacher, relatives, friends… for a meeting

to plan the next steps • in the future of the juvenile with the help of the

most important persons• around him/her

The Process of Transition: Step by Step: Step 3

Arranging vocational training/internship

December/January• Observation on workplace during the training,

feedback of the

• company

The Process of Transition: Step by Step: Step 4

Developing a career plan – writing a transition report

Final consultation February/March• handing over the transition report with an ability

and interest profile • and the career plan• transfer to subsequent service

The Process of Transition: Step by Step: Step 5 and 6

Benefits of transition serviceResults of the evaluation of the Clearing service in Austria made by L &

R Sozialforschung on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Social Affairs in cooperation with Prof. G. Wetzel, University of Salzburg (2006):

• 86% of the juveniles made a practical training in companies positive effect on development of maturity

• 87% of the participants could realize their goals of their career plan

• 39% of the non-participants could reach their initial vocational goal

• 25% of the non-participants did nothing at first after their school-education

Results after the Clearing Service

• 28% of the participants are in an apprenticeship

• 25% of the participants are in are in a service of the AMS- Public Employment Service or the Federal Social Welfare Office

• 10% of the participants are mostly otherwise employed

• 13% of the participants are mostly unemployed

• 20% of the participants phases of school attendance or episodes of “distance of labor market”

high level of integration by Clearing service