Thursday, February 11th, 2016
Here at ILO, we know that working is important. Employment provides us with the means of supporting ourselves, and allows us to becoming contributing members of society. In addition to being financially essential (for most people), employment also gives our days purpose, keeps our lives interesting, and allows us to connect with the outside world. It is important for socialization and integration, and enables continuous learning and growth.
As parents of individuals with special needs, volunteers in the special needs community, and members of ILO’s network of participating families, we have come to appreciate how important employment is to individuals with disabilities. We have also come to be very familiar with the challenges that these individuals face in their quest for a job.
At ILO, we strive to help self-advocates build full, integrated lives for themselves. For many of these individuals, a full, integrated, inclusive life includes employment – for that reason, we have decided to use today’s blog to write about a practical, useful program that was designed to help individuals with disabilities overcome challenges, prepare for, and obtain employment. This program (which has the added benefit of being close to home) is offered through the Arc of Montgomery County, and is called the Transitioning Youth Retail Project.
Interested? Please read on to learn more!
What is the Transitioning Youth Retail Project?
The Transitioning Youth Retail Project is a pilot project designed and delivered by the Arc Montgomery County, and supported by the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation and the HSC Foundation. In short, this program – which consists of three phases, over the course of 10 weeks – is a rigorous training program that prepares young adults with mild intellectual and developmental disabilities to work successfully in the retail sector.
The program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to obtain employment and succeed in the retail field; with this goal in mind, the program touches on practical skills such as phone etiquette, resume building and display design. It also focuses on more abstract (yet still vitally important) skills such as problem solving, motivational skills, and self- concept. As well, the program focuses on skill building in areas that are not only beneficial to obtaining employment, but also for independent living examples include conflict resolution, communication, and adaptability.
As mentioned, the course is divided into three phases over the course of ten weeks. The first phase, Preparation, takes place from weeks 1-3 and involves classroom instruction and assessment. Phase 2, Practice, involves the students in hands-on training at the Arc Montgomery County’s Urban Thrift Store. During this phase, students practice the skills they acquired in the classroom. The final phase, Phase 3, is an internship – PAID – during which students are paired with a retail partner for the last 5 weeks of the program. In this phase, students are provided with job specific training from on-site staff, as well as continuing support from the program’s employees and job coaches.
For more information on the specifics of this program and what it entails, please click here to visit the Arc Montgomery County’s website, and here to download the program’s brochure.
How Can My Family Member with Special Needs Get Involved?
The first step to getting involved in this program, either as a parent/carer researching on behalf of an individual with disabilities, an individual with disabilities him/herself, or a retail organization interested in partnering, is to contact The Arc Montgomery County! They can be reached via telephone at 301.984.5777 x1226, or by emailing tyrp@arcmont.org. As well, program information can also be accessed by visiting The Arc Montgomery County’s website, www.thearcmontgomerycounty.org.
Applications for this program can also be downloaded by visiting this link: TYRP Application.
Would you like more information?
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website and read our weekly blog. We love writing about issues that concern individuals with disabilities, and families with special needs – if you are interested in receiving weekly updates for our blog, please take a moment to subscribe to ILO’s newsletter; the link can be found on the right hand side of our website.
If you would like to learn more about employment or employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, or would like more information about ILO and the work we do building communities for self-advocates in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. areas, please contact us! We would love to meet you and your family with special needs, and will take any opportunity to grow our ever expanding network of participating families.
Thanks again for dropping by – please don’t forget to visit us next week!
