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Work and Career Planning

The purpose of Project Search is to prepare young people with significant disabilities for success in competitive integrated employment.   RCOE’s Project Search program is designed as a school-to-work transition program that was developed by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

RCOE Project Search students are considered interns and are fully immersed into job exploration and vocational training.  Interns participate in both classroom and vocational training opportunities focusing on discovery and work place readiness. 

Eligible students also have the opportunity to become clients with the Department Rehabilitation and Inland Regional Center.

Skill taught include:

  • Work readiness
  • Career readiness
  • Job exploration
  • Self-Advocacy
  • Communication
  • Vocational vocabulary
  • Soft skills
  • Social-emotional skills
  • Healthy habits/fitness

Transition Partnership Program is an interagency vocational program federally funded by the California State Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) in cooperation with the Riverside County Office of Education, and local high schools across the county.  More than 600 students from participating school districts join the program each year. The goal of TPP is to assist students with disabilities in overcoming challenges in their transition from high school to further education/training and/or to gain meaningful employment.

TPP is a two-semester course.  Teachers, RCOE Staff, and DOR Counselors provide lessons and activities that are designed to prepare students for employment. 

Transition Partnership Program classes provide:

  • Job Exploration Counseling
  • Work-based Learning Experiences
  • Work Readiness Training
  • Self-Advocacy Training

Support, for some students, continues after high school and may include job placement assistance and vocational training or financial assistance to purchase job-required tools and/or uniforms.  A transportation allowance is also available based on eligibility and need.  

For further information contact your local high school counselor or call RCOE.

This program is available to all Riverside County Office of Education students 18 – 22 years of age who meet criteria as established by the Project Workability staff and state mandated guidelines. Students are placed at community-based employment training sites and earn wages. Many students are, based on their ability, hired after they complete their educational training.

The WorkAbility I (WAI) program is funded by a grant from the California Department of Education Special Education Department.  WorkAbility I is a nationally recognized school-to-work program that offers special education students, ages 16 and over, with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the opportunity to complete their secondary education while also obtaining marketable job skills for success in the modern labor market.  

The mission is to promote the involvement of key stakeholders (Educators, students, families, and community & business partners) in planning and implementing an array of services that will culminate in a successful transition to employment, lifelong learning, and quality of life for the students.

Services may include:

  • Career & Vocational Assessment
  • Career Awareness & Exploration 
  • Pre-employment skills training
  • Self-Advocacy/Disability Awareness
  • Life Skills/Independent Living
  • Job Coaching   

The RCOE WAI program seeks employers in our business community who will give students with special needs a chance to prove themselves in a competitive integrated employment setting.  Please contact us for further information and to be part of the RCOE WAI Team!

For additional information regarding WorkAbility I, please visit the California Department of Education Website.