Educational Development, TRiO Student Support Services

Providing Hope and Opportunity
Career Development

The Access Employment (AE) Program is a service of the TRiO program that provides essential career counseling. Unemployment rates for people with disabilities are significantly higher than for people without disabilities.
According to the United States Census Bureau Data on Disability 2000, the unemployment rate for college graduates with a disability is 7.1% compared to 2.8% for college graduates without a disability. The goal of the AE Program is to provide opportunities for students to learn valuable career skills in order to become competitive in the job market. We are here to reverse the trend in employment rates for students with disabilities by identifying individual strengths, facilitating career development and providing access to business and community members

AE Program Services  
Exploration Of Employment Options 
  • volunteer work
  • internship information
  • part-time employment
  • entry-level professional positions
Development Of Career Skills 
  • resume and cover letter preparation
  • mock interviews
  • motivational coaching
  • building networking skills
  • career and personal enrichment workshops
  • career guidance
 Creating an awareness of employment issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

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Student Testimonials on the Access Employment Program 
Click on the links below to read how two students utilized program services; the files are in Microsoft Word format.  The Blue Ribbon Committee
The Blue Ribbon Committee is an integral component of the Access Employment Program, providing consultation and other services. Committee members are local business and community members who work with students on an informal basis in the areas of job shadowing, informational interviewing and resume critique; they also share their professional expertise by presenting workshops on a broad range of topics.

The Resource and Career Exploration Center (RACE)
RACE is another component of the Access Employment Program that is primarily a web-based resource focusing on volunteer opportunities, private and public sector employment, professional organizations, Blue Ribbon company profiles and disability issues. Other resources include job postings, quick tip handouts on career preparedness, national and local business journals and human services directories. Students may utilize the center by working independently or conferring with the TRIO coordinator to create a career guidance plan.

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