The Employment Services Group of CEA offers highly individualized services to assist classified students in their transition from school to work. Generally, transition-to-work services are accessed through participation in Spring Run School. Students attending other schools have used Transition Services through a part time arrangement with Spring Run School.

Services start with a vocational assessment. Interest inventories, standardized vocational tests, and tryouts on work are used to evaluate abilities and interests. The vocational assessment is used with other school information and with input from the student to develop an individualized transition program.

Central to CEA’s Transitional Services is the ability for students to explore interests, learn workplace skills, and gain confidence through actual work experience. Students can take part in the on site training programs. Trying most or all of the programs is encouraged.

School Based Work Experience

These instructionally based work experiences take place at Spring Run School. Students are doing work that contributes directly to the upkeep of their own school, giving a sense of pride and ownership towards the school. Students can work in Building Maintenance or Building Trades.

Building Maintenance: Student workers learn to perform functions that are typically the responsibility of a cleaning company. Cleaning of rooms, floors, bathrooms, and trash removal are completed daily. Students eighteen and above can learn to operate equipment such as buffing machines.

Introduction to Building Trades: Students are exposed to many of the work skills required in general construction. Safe use of tools, painting, spackling, sanding, and installing tiles are among the skills developed. Students learn these skills through a combination of group projects within the school and individual wood working projects. Students have built and installed shelving units, built storage bins, enclosed radiators, and installed flooring and paneling.

CEA Work Programs

Students are able to take part in realistic work settings in areas of packaging/assembly and food services. The work settings are integrated, with both workers with disabilities and workers hired through traditional means, giving students an authentic work experience.

Packaging and Assembly: Students are able to work on production of real products while learning appropriate behaviors and attitudes. Training is tailored to the individual student to build confidence in abilities. Work experience can include general assembly, packaging and repackaging, collating, labeling, sealing, inspecting, and assembly line work. CEA is FDA approved for secondary packaging, resulting in students being exposed to high standards for sanitation and quality requirements. Students work at times with products they see within the community such as Ssips drinks, Aveeno, Johnson and Johnson, and other familiar products.

Food Services: Students take part in the daily running of the cafeterias serving staff, production workers, clients, and the students of Spring Run School. In a training program approved by the NJ Dept. of Labor, students receive hands on practical experience. Students are involved in the following activities,

• Food preparation -Cooking, grilling, sautéing, deep frying
• Deli Work -Preparing and baking deserts
• Serving Meals -Bussing tables and washing dishes

Office Technologies: In the Office Technologies program, a state-approved re-training program, the students learn the computer concepts for the different programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) or MS Office. The emphasis is on learning the concepts of each program. This is a self-paced course and the students work at their own rate of speed. The students learn the following:

• Proper letter setup
• Proofreading
• Appropriate & effective use of E-mail & Internet services
• Various report setups
• Prepare for an office position

On-Job Experience (OJE): When ready, students are placed in a community OJE to get additional skills, build confidence, and learn first hand about work opportunities. Student’s interests are considered in placement. Placements have included:

• Restaurants
• Car Dealerships
• Retail Stores
• Pet stores/Animal Shelters
• Child Care
• Libraries
• Health Clubs
• Grocery Stores

Staff works with students to prepare for interviews, filling out applications, and planning a job search following graduation. Some students have been hired by their OJE employers upon graduation.

Additional Services are included in the Transition Program. The World of Work (WOW) group gives a weekly opportunity for students to learn about work requirements, career exploration, and work attitudes. Students on OJE placements attend the Breakfast Club, where experiences are discussed and skills of filling out applications, finding job leads, and maintaining a job. Students also meet with their transitional case managers to build skills specific to their transition plan.

Employment Services collaborates with Spring Run School to offer services that will help students prepare for community involvement as well. Extended classroom experiences expose students to a wide range of community settings, with opportunities to learn behaviors and expectations of these settings while exploring leisure and recreational activities.

Transitional staff is available to discuss opportunities and assist in linking up with appropriate services post graduation. Talk to your case manager for information and referrals for programs and support as graduation approaches. Since CEA specializes in transition-to-work training, case managers will assist in finding resources for furthering education, disability services, affordable housing, transportation, counseling and mental health services.

For additional information, or to arrange a meeting, or to learn more about our services please contact: