Pre-Employment Transition
The Career Development Center (CDC) provides various services to students with disabilities who are registered for Pre-Employment Transition Services (PRE-ETS) through the Office of Rehabilitation Services. These services assist students and their families with making informed decisions to make a successful transition to adult life.
PRE-ETS Services available include: Community Based Work Experience (CBWE), Summer Work, Middle School Career Compass, Job Exploration Services, Tri Employment Program, and the Summer Employment Alliance.
Community Based Work Experience (CBWE)
This service occurs in an integrated competitive employment setting to provide vocationally relevant planning information for students with disabilities. Students are placed in a community based work setting in order to try out one or more different types of work; explore careers of interest; assess work habits, work tolerance, interpersonal skills, and behaviors; and identify needed supports. Students are paid minimum wage for the hours worked and the length of a CBWE can vary, but is typically a total of 40 hours.
Summer Work
Summer Work offers high school students and qualifying recent graduates the opportunity to experience first hand the world of work. This is a five days per week, 20 hours per week program where participants are placed at one integrated worksite in the community for a total of five weeks. Participants are paid minimum wage for the hours worked. Additionally, the program exposes students to an overview of public transportation and various work readiness topics.
Middle School Career Compass
Career Compass is a series of workshops geared towards increasing career awareness and self-advocacy skills in eighth grade students with disabilities. Topics covered include: communication skills, team building activities, identifying strengths and abilities, self-advocacy skills, work values, work preferences, and identifying vocational interests. Workshops are interactive in nature and activities are taught through group discussions, hands-on learning, and team building activities. The program is one day per week, one hour per day for a total of ten weeks.
Job Exploration
This service provides an opportunity to explore careers and formulate a vocational interest profile. It consists of a cluster of activities and/or services intended to introduce students to career options post high school. Job Exploration Services utilize a variety of tools/methods/services such as interest inventories, career awareness, community-based work experiences, informational interviews, job shadowing, and tours of businesses and training programs. It includes a twenty hour community based work experience and exploration.
Tri Employment Program
The Tri Employment Program is a six month program that provides work readiness workshops and integrated, paid internships to students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. This program is a collaborative effort between the student’s high school, West Bay Collaborative, and ORS. Students attend ten weeks of work readiness workshops that take place one day per week immediately following the end of the school day. During the workshops students learn about their interests, preferences, strengths/aptitudes, and job seeking skills (e.g. completing applications, resume writing, and interviewing skills). Following the successful completion of work readiness workshops, students complete a ten week, ten hours per week paid internship within their community. Currently, this program is offered in Warwick, West Warwick, and Coventry.
Summer Employment Alliance
The Career Development Center partners with the Providence School Department and the Office of Rehabilitation Services to provide technical assistance to the school’s Extended School Year (ESY) program where students with significant disabilities are placed in integrated, competitive employment settings throughout the community. The CDC also issues stipends to students who qualify for this programming.
In-School Youth Services Contact
West Bay/Northern Regions
Meaghan Gilmartin, Vocational Evaluator
144 Bignall Street
Warwick, RI 02888
Phone: 401-941-8353 x121
Fax: 401-941-8535
Email me
Main Office
Transition & Vocational Services
Professional Development
144 Bignall Street
Warwick, RI 02888
Phone: (401) 941-8353
Fax: (401) 941-8535
Hours: Monday - Friday
9:00am - 4:30pm
Grades K-6
1196 Park Avenue
Cranston, RI 02910
Phone: (401) 270-8588
Fax: (401) 270-8429
Hours: Monday-Friday
9:00am - 3:00pm;
Wednesdays
9:00am - 12:45pm
Grades 6-12
51 Draper Avenue
Warwick, RI 02889
Phone: (401) 734-3440
Fax: (401) 734-3443
Hours: Monday-Friday
8:00am - 2:00pm;
Wednesdays
8:00am - 12:00pm