"The materials and class activities helped me understand better how PWD youth or adult perceive the world. Meeting them from where they are and working with them toward self-sufficiency and getting them familiar with how to access services they would need to get them stable living conditions, stable employment, stable health care if possible, and hopefully self-sufficient and stabilized. I work mostly with youth with disabilities so it helped me focus on their interest for a career and not just what skills they demonstrated."
- V.R AgentAbout the Youth-Technical Assistance Center
The VR Y-TAC provides training and technical assistance (TA) to State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies to help them find and engage youth with disabilities (YwD) who are not in special education as well as YwD who are no longer in school and not employed.
Y-TAC utilizes the Guideposts for Success holistic transition framework and the Youth Service Professionals’ Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (YSP-KSA) training modules, a cross-system professional development resource for youth service professionals working with youth in a variety of setting, both of which were developed by the NCWD/Youth. In addition, Y-TAC shares and disseminate strategies and models form personalized career planning, employer engagement, internships, and STEM career exploration through utilization of models like High School/High Tech, the RIGHT Turn Career-Focused Transition Initiative, the implementation of Customized Employment strategies, the use of Individualized Career Development Plans, and a variety of other approaches designed to foster cross-boundary collaboration in order to promote the comprehensive transition of youth to adulthood leading to engagement in post-secondary education and training and competitive integrated employment.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center (VR Y-TAC) is led by the Institute for Educational Leadership’s (IEL) Center for Workforce Development (CWD) in partnership with:
- Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR)
- Boston University’s School of Education
- Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across the country
The Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center is staffed by three TA liaisons and a team of program associates. The Center is directed by Wendy Quarles and Mindy Larson.
OUR MISSION & GOALS
GOAL 1
Increase State VR agencies abilities in and implementation of the following practices:
- Identifying the needs and creating plans to meet the needs of YwD
- Establishing partnerships with State and local agencies, service providers, or other entities
- Implementing outreach policies and procedures to increase engagement of YwD
- Implementing collaborative/coordinated service strategies that increase youth competitive, integrated employment (mentoring, higher education and training, work experiences, internships and apprenticeships).
GOAL 2
Increase VR personnel’s abilities in and implementation of the following practices:
- Developing quality individualized plans for employment for YwD
- Developing and sustaining partnerships and relationships
- Developing and implementing effective outreach to increase VR access for YwD
- Developing customized training, career training, and work experiences for YwD
- Developing and delivering support services to career training providers and employers.
GOAL 3
Increase referrals and applications of Youth with Disabilities to VR.
GOAL 4
Increase the number of Youth with Disabilities served by State VR agencies.
GOAL 5
Increase the number of Youth with Disabilities served by VR agencies who engage in postsecondary education and training that leads to the attainment of postsecondary education skills and credentials needed for employment in high-demand occupations.
GOAL 6
Increase the number of Youth with Disabilities served by VR agencies who obtain competitive integrated employment, especially in high-demand occupations in career paths that are responsive to employer needs.