Q: What is Employment First?
A: New Jersey is part of national movement that is centered on the belief “that all citizens, including individuals with significant disabilities, are capable of full participation in integrated employment and community life.” The approach, called Employment First, urges local publicly-financed systems – including school systems – to adjust their programs and policies to promote integrated, competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities and special needs. Employment First is not a program or a plan. Rather, it is a movement that is supposed to align and support the philosophy that all people, including persons with complex support needs, are presumed capable of competitive integrated employment. When NJ became an “Employment First” state in 2012, it set out to raise expectations, implement better practices, and align policies to promote employment for all.
Q: What does this mean for special education and transition services?
A: Educators, families, service agencies, and community partners have a vital role in preparing students to live full productive lives in their communities. In efforts to improve the postsecondary outcomes for individuals with disabilities, all stakeholders must possess the philosophy that anyone who wants to work is able to do so with the proper support.
Q: What can IEP teams do to develop IEPs aligned with Employment First?
A: In order to support students on their pathway to employment, IEP teams must get to know students’ strengths, preferences, interests, and support needs as they relate to academic and functional performance in various environments. While providing curriculum, instruction, and assessment activities, take the time to uncover students’ abilities, capabilities, and contributions. Using a strength-based approach is more productive than a deficit approach that looks at the barriers and what a student cannot do.
Q: Where can I learn more?
A: At NJ Common Ground, we love the transition resources at The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: Click here to visit the site.
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