Services for Youth with Disabilities

Transforming the employment landscape for young people with disabilities.

At Life’sWork, we are working to ensure every young person with a disability can find a good job, with good pay, that brings real satisfaction, and makes a real difference in their life.

Our services for youth with disabilities provide the assistance needed to be successful while in school and through the transition to the next step. The school system doesn’t always have the capability to provide what might be necessary to students with disabilities in order for them to reach their full potential. Life’sWork fills that gap in support.

Our Services

Work Readiness Seminars
Life Skills Seminars
Job Development & Coaching
Educational & Career Planning
Job Shadowing
Vocational Evaluation
Community-Based Work Experience
Career Fairs
Internships
Certifications

Pre-Employment Transitional Services

How do you help young people with intellectual and development disabilities find work they are well suited for and find satisfying?

There is no one-size fits all answer. Every young person is unique and requires different support. At Life’sWork, our Workforce Development Specialists work in partnership with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and 22 local school districts provide pre-employment transitional services for high school students with disabilities.

Our services begin in the classroom, where our instructors work closely alongside their students to provide them with the instruction, experiences and supports they need to prepare for a good job or further education. We believe that by developing a thoughtful, person-centered transition plan we can begin to identify work opportunities that match a young person’s interests, strengths, and goals.

Project Match

Now that we’ve identified opportunities, it’s time to match our participants up with an entry-level job that starts them along the path to long-term employment success.

Our Project Match program is designed to provide youth with the confidence, sense of responsibility and positive work experiences they need to become productive members of society. Once we’ve found their perfect fit, our program is designed to provide the planning and ongoing support services that young adults need to help them reach their employment goals.

Employers who hire Project Match participants gain access to a hidden workforce – a culturally diverse and skilled talent pool for a wide range of positions in various industries. Once our staff has taken the time to understand your needs, we thoroughly screen potential applicants before proposing a job match — ensuring long-term success for both the business and the employee.

The road to employment starts with one step.

Want more information about our youth employment services? Chris Phelps, Director, Client Services for our Pittsburgh office at (412) 471-2600 x330 or at cphelps@lifesworkwpa.org in Pittsburgh, or Leigh Ann Patterson at 724-684-3630 x715 in the Mon Valley to learn more.