Pre-ETS Resources

Guide students through employment transition with help from these toolkits, online training courses, and expert advice

Help Students Explore Career Goals with the Pre-ETS Toolkit

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) guide students with disabilities as they move from school to their career. It prepares students for success by helping them identify career goals, skills, and opportunities.

The Pre-ETS Toolkit includes proven resources you can use to learn the basics of Pre-ETS. It covers:

  • Strategies to improve collaboration with school partners

  • Lesson plans and skill-building exercises

  • Interactive discussion prompts

  • Online resources

Check the toolkit to find out how you can help the students you support.

Collaborate Effectively to Support Your Pre-ETS Program

Dr. Heidi Brett Baker conducts this webinar on collaborating with school staff, parents, and other Pre-ETS stakeholders to implement quality Pre-ETS activities.

The webinar reviews how special education transition programs and Pre-ETS are designed to complement each other. Dr. Brett Baker provides tips and practical guidance on how Pre-ETS career coaches can collaborate with special educators to improve employment outcomes.

Online Training Courses for Pre-ETS

These online training courses provide evidence-based practices, tips, and practical strategies for teaching and supporting students as they transition to the workforce. We encourage anyone interested in developing their knowledge and skills to explore each one, starting with the Introduction to Transition.

Anyone interested in completing a module should email their Youth VR Counselor for access. If you do not know your Youth VR Counselor, you can find a list of counselors by county on the Indiana Family and Social Services website.

The courses are designed to be stand-alone and can be taken in any order. Each module should take about an hour to complete.

  • This module provides a foundation for thinking about the transition from school to employment. It is a multi-step process that can take some students many years to complete. Explore the laws, roles, and responsibilities of all partners in the transition process, and how Pre-ETS can help students navigate the process successfully.  

  • This training series explains how to develop and implement effective community-based instruction. That includes opportunities for job exploration, work-based learning, and post-secondary education.

    Module 1.1: Effective Job Exploration: Assessing Community Opportunities 

    Module 1.2: Effective Work Based Learning: Generalizing Skills in the Community

    Module 1.3: Developing Post-secondary Education Opportunities

  • This series looks at effective partnerships with communities and schools to support Pre-ETS students. Each module focuses on developing collaborative relationships with different stakeholders involved in the transition process.

    Module 2.1: Communicating and Collaborating with Multiple Service Providers

    Module 2.2: Communicating and Collaborating with LEA’s

    Module 2.3: Supplementing, not Supplanting: Enhancing and Aligning Pre-ETS activities with Alternate Diploma / Certificate of Completion Requirements

  • Learn to develop quality Pre-ETS activities to meet the needs of students and families from diverse backgrounds. This module explores the approach, activities, and purpose of services so you can create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

    Module 3.1: Cultivating Curiosity – Getting to know yourself and others better 

    Module 3.2: Strategies for Providing Culturally Responsive Services for Students and Families 

    Module 3.3: Self-Advocacy and Cultural Competency 

Facilitating Effective Technology Use

Assistive technologies can be a great way to help students thrive in all different kinds of workplaces. But you need to show people how to access technology and integrate it into their daily lives. This video offers tips for helping students find and use technology that fits their specific needs on the job.

The INDATA Project

This PowerPoint provides an in-depth overview and history of Assistive Technologies and the Easterseals Crossroads “INDATA Project”. The INDATA Project contains many initiatives to increase access to and awareness of Assistive Technology in Indiana, including an alternative financing program, device demonstrations, and an equipment lending library.

Disability Disclosure and Reasonable Accommodations

Learn from Barry Whaley, Project Director of the Southeast ADA Center, about disability disclosure and accommodations.

  • Are people obligated to disclose a disability?

  • What’s the “right time” to disclose a need for accommodation?

  • What is the role of the employment specialist in disclosure and accommodation?

  • What can be done to ensure that the process is respectful of the employee with a disability?

  • What are the employer’s responsibilities?