What are unpaid work experiences?
Hands-on, unpaid work and volunteer experiences on a job. You learn job skills, employer expectations, and personal interests and preferences. Ideally, unpaid work experiences…
- Help you to learn about yourself.
- Help you to explore jobs to see if they are a good fit.
- Are in school or in the community.
- Provide job shadowing, volunteer work, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities.
- Identify work environments that meet your strengths, needs, and goals.
- Collect information that can be used by your teacher in the classroom. This can help you learn work skills.
- Prepare you for daily work responsibilities on the job.
- Provide you with supports on the job, such as a job coach and technology.
- Are written into your IEP goals.
Unpaid work experiences result in…
- School, community, agency, and business partnership.
- Matching your strengths, interests, and needs to career goals.
- Real-life job experiences.
- Skills to work, such as specific job skills, how to be responsible on the job, and how to get along with others.