DARS and DBVI both provide high school students with disabilities, ages 14 to 22, with Pre-ETS, a federally funded program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). DARS and DBVI work with students, their families, their schools, and community partners to help students gain knowledge and experiences so that they can make choices about their future, including their future careers.
Students with disabilities are eligible for Pre-ETS services. They may have an IEP or 504 plan but it is not required as long as they have a disability that meets the regulatory definition in the Rehabilitation Act. Some documentation of the disability is required. The student does not have to be a VR client to receive Pre-ETS services. Your child can receive both Pre-ETS and VR services if they are determined eligible for VR. Ask your child’s school team about Pre-ETS and request that a VR counselor attend their IEP meeting. Under Virginia state regulations for vocational rehabilitation services 22 VAC30-20-120, if a student is signed up for or receiving Pre-ETS services and the VR counselor is invited to the student’s IEP meeting, they are required to attend.
Below are five topics covered through Pre-ETS:
Job Exploration & Counseling
Work-Based Learning Experiences
Counseling on Education
& Training Options
Workplace Readiness Training
Self-Advocacy Instruction
Explore careers of interest and motivate
the student to be interested in working.
Gain knowledge and skills in a
workplace that may lead to a job.
Learn about education and training
options/resources after high school.
Prepare for adult life by developing
social and independent living skills.
Learn how to communicate wants
and needs to direct their own lives.
For more information contact your local DARS office or your DBVI Regional office.