2023 EmployAbility Program
Pre-EmployAbility weekend, March 31 through April 1, 2023
Summer EmployAbility Program, June 19-30, 2023 and July 9-28, 2023
Pre-EmployAbility Weekend
4:00pm on March 31, 2023 through 4:00pm on April 1, 2023
Watch 2023 Pre-EmployAbility Weekend Video
This is a weekend to assess students in regard to their skills related to employment. Participation in this portion is mandatory for all students who will attend the 2023 Summer EmployAbility Program.
The weekend will consist of activities for program staff to get to know the students’ abilities, strengths and areas of need as they relate to competencies of employment. This will include assessments and observations in the areas of employment, orientation and mobility, independent living, assistive technology and social emotional skills. There will also be discussion of job placements for the summer program.
Students will access WCBVI laptops to determine keyboarding, email and internet access skills. Students will stay in the dorm where the five-week Summer EmployAbility Program will take place and get exposure to the WCBVI campus and an introduction to the Janesville Transit System.
The end result of the Pre-EmployAbility weekend will be a report highlighting the students’ abilities, strengths and areas of need as they relate to the competencies of employment. The report will help guide staff in determining whether a student will work in the community or onsite at WCBVI.
Summer EmployAbility Program
The Summer EmployAbility Program consists of two weeks of on-campus classes June 19-30, 2023 and three weeks of paid community employment July 9-28, 2023. Students will work up to 20 hours per week.
Focus
The focus of this program will be on developing pre-employment skills that lead to employment in the community. Components of the program include researching jobs, creating a resume, learning about community safety, completing job applications, job interviewing, communicating with employers and coworkers, learning about requirements of various jobs and what type of qualities employers are seeking in a candidate
Who Will Benefit?
This program will benefit students who plan to live independently, work with no or minimal support, and/or attend a university, private, or technical college. This program is not part of a student’s IEP, nor any local district programming.
Eligibility
Students who are 16-21 years of age, who are blind or visually impaired and have attended high school in Wisconsin for the 2022-2023 school year, are eligible to participate. All students who sign up for the program will receive a certificate upon successful completion. The program is limited to eight students.
Program Requirements
In order to participate in the program, students must commit to the March 31-April 1 Pre-EmployAbility weekend and the full five-week summer program. Students must provide their own transportation to and from the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired campus in Janesville.
Podcast Interview
David Ballmann was interviewed about the EmployAbility program on episode 35 of the Badger News Podcast. You can listen to the interview here or find Badger News on your favorite podcast app.