Established in 1990, the Oregon Youth Transition Program (YTP) is a collaborative partnership between the office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Oregon Department of Education, and the University of Oregon. It is funded by Vocational Rehabilitation every two-years through competitive grants to local school districts. The purpose of the YTP is to prepare students with differences for employment or career related postsecondary education or training through the provision of a comprehensive array of pre-employment transition activities and supports.
Overview
YTP was developed initially in seven high schools as a federal systems change grant. Today, YTP serves about 1500 students in approximately 120 Oregon high schools. VR contracts with the University of Oregon to provide training and technical assistance to school and rehabilitation personnel statewide to support implementation of YTP. Contracts with local school districts are performance based. YTP sites are expected to meet performance benchmarks based on key milestones within the VR system – application to VR, development of an individual plan for employment (IPE), and engagement in employment, training, or a combination of employment and training upon exiting the YTP pattern of service. A site’s performance on program benchmarks influences potential future funding. YTP staff collaborate with VR to create mechanisms to ensure the provision of pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS), and provide core YTP Grant activities and supports in their districts.
Participants
Local YTP staff serve youth with differences who need support beyond services typically offered though the general or special education program to achieve their secondary and post-secondary employment and continuing education goals. YTP participants are representative of all youth with differences nationally with respect to gender and primary differences categories. The majority of youth in the program experience a number of additional individual, family, or school system barriers such as poor academic skills, limited social and independent living skills, negative job experiences, and low levels of family involvement or support. NOTE: Any student eligible or potentially eligible for VR services may participate in pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) without becoming a client of VR. All YTP participants who receive core services must be eligible for VR services and become clients of VR. Any young adult with a difference who has a barrier to employment can become a VR client without being served in the YTP.
Services
The YTP provides year-round services to youth typically during the last two years of high school and continuing into the early transition years after leaving high school.
At the local level, a team consisting of a transition specialist, vocational rehabilitation counselor, special educator/s and administrator work to achieve two distinct, yet interconnected goals. The first goal is to improve post-school transition outcomes for youth with differences by preparing them for employment or career related postsecondary education/training. The second goal is to increase capacity and create systems change in schools and other agencies serving students with differences in transition from school to work. These goals are achieved by providing a variety of core services to students participating in the YTP, including:
(a) individualized planning, focused on post-school goals and self-determination and help to coordinate school plans with relevant community agencies,
(b) instruction in academic, vocational, independent living, and personal social skills and help to stay in and complete high school,
(c) career development services including goal setting, career exploration, job search skills, and self-advocacy,
(d) paid employment including connections with local employers, on the job assessments, placement and training,
(e) support services such as individualized mentoring and support or referrals for additional specific interventions, and
(f) follow-up support for one year after leaving the program to assist in maintaining positive outcomes in employment or postsecondary settings.
YTP staff work with young adults, and families as appropriate, to individualize services to support the young adult’s employment and career-related goals.
We have YTP Sites at Coos Bay, Coquille, Gold Beach, North Bend and Port Orford School Districts. Find your school’s program and service offerings below.
What we work on
Resume Building, Applications, Job/Career Exploration, CIS, Mock Interviews, Food Handlers Cards, Oregon Driver Test Preparation, OHP Applications, FAFSA, etc. We work on anything that will help our students be successful in the workplace and in life.
What we do
The students at Marshfield have the opportunity to get hands on work experience by hand-making candles and working with a Melco embroidery machine. All the products that the students make are sold at the local farmers market and all proceeds go back to the YTP program to help the students with anything they need to be successful in the workplace and postsecondary education.
The Youth Transition Program serves youth with disabilities and differences who need support beyond services typically offered though the general or special education program to achieve their secondary and post-secondary employment and continuing education goals.
Marshfield YTP is located in the main building in room 213. If you have questions about the program, please email Kelsey Laird or by phone at (541) 808-4593.
North Bend High School Youth Transition Program
Welcome! North Bend High is home to our transition specialist – Melissa Downs. Our YTP program is home to seven different school based work experience opportunities which are:
Bulldog Brew Coffee Shop
Spill the Beans Coffee Roasting
Signs and Designs
Clothes Closet
Boneyard School Store
Bulldog Youth Food Pantry
Tag You’re It
These opportunities allow for students to gain incredible hands on experience working in the community and on campus to learn communication skills, work skills, problem solving, and adapting to situations. At the Bulldog Brew a student not only learns how to become a barista and make incredible coffee but learns how to manage a customer who is not happy with a product or how to think fast on their feet if were out of an item. Preparing them for the real work world while also supporting each student’s different needs and skills. Students who participate in Clothes Closet and Food Pantry gain an incredible experience in where their work helps many, many students and families in our community. They learn about empathy, listening skills, open communication, confidentiality, and organizing.
Students also get the awesome opportunity to go into the community and work at our local winter and summer Farmers Market and sell the items we created. Signs and Designs and well as roasted coffee are a big hit at our booth where students learn how to start a conversation with someone they’ve never met, get the potential customer excited about a product they’ve made, and handle cash transactions.
Our YTP site works closely with students to prepare them for entering the work world or post-secondary education. We work hand in hand with our local Vocational Rehabilitation office. Our VR specialist comes to our site at least monthly and meets families and students to create a team atmosphere. At North Bend we pride ourselves in getting to know our students and what their dreams are and create a plan to help each student succeed.
If you have questions about the program, please contact Melissa Downs by email at mdowns@nbend.k12.or.us or by phone at (541) 751-7155.
Job Skills
Gold Beach High School YTP works on job skills, to introduce students on how to learn the best ways to incorporate into a new job; they work on resume writing, practice applications practice/mock interviews, job evaluations, setting goals, learning work ethics, learning to dress appropriately and good hygiene skills, problem solving, and anything that can help our students become successful for future jobs or needing help for their future.
School Based Businesses
Gold Beach High School YTP has several school based businesses, which help students learn basic job skills, which they may use later on in life. Our school based business are:
The Panther’s Palace – a little store where we sell all our homemade items at the school, during home games, at the yearly Holiday Bazaar, and sometimes at The Farmer’s Market, plus we sell supplies that are needed by students in the school.
Fire Bricks – students usually make firebricks weekly, and sell them to local community campgrounds, and within our school store.
Candles/Soaps/Jam – students make candles/soaps/Jam during the summer to sell in our store.
Smoothies-students sell smoothies at local games, the Holiday Bazaar, the farmer’s market, and during the summer, using a large granite machine.
Jewelry – students make our popular Panther bracelets/earrings to sell in our store.
Other Items of Importance
Gold Beach YTP works with our partners Voc. Rehab to help students get all their job related needs. YTP also helps students with DMV, Food Handler’s, DHS needs, plus anything students may need to be as successful as possible. Feel free to contact Teresa Gibbs at teresag@scesd.k12.or.us or 541-425-0043, if you have any questions about the program.
JOBS SKILLS
Pacific High School YTP works on job skills with all their students, to help them learn the best skills to get the perfect job; they work on resume writing, applications, how to use a reference, communication skills, self-advocacy skills, setting goals for themselves, soft skills, and anything else to help students become successful for future jobs.
SCHOOL BASED BUSINESSES
Pacific High School has 4 school based businesses, which teaches students job skills that they may use in their future. Our school based businesses are:
The Cool Pirate – a small smoothie business where we sell smoothies during school breaks, 2 days a week and occasional home games.
Candles – Students make candles during free times once a week, will sell at the Cool Pirate, during school time, occasional home games, and Farmer’s Markets during the summer.
Jewelry – Students make pirate bracelet/earrings to sell at The Cool Pirate.
Coffee-students sell coffee 2 mornings a week, using a Keurig machine.
OTHER ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE
Pacific High School YTP partners with Vocational Rehabilitation to meet the needs of the students that is job related. YTP also helps students with post-secondary educations and other trainings, driver’s training, getting Food Handler’s card, Birth Certificate, Social Security card, or anything else to meet the needs of each individual student, so they can become successful in their own future goals.
Feel free to contact Teresa Gibbs at teresag@scesd.k12.or.us or 541-425-0043 if you have any questions about the program.