JOB READINESS AND WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAM FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Abstract

This study sheds light on the obstacles that these students confront, aiming to bridge the informational void regarding their career development journey. Furthermore, it offers strategies and optimal approaches to facilitate a smooth transition for these students into the professional sphere. Youth with disabilities must be college and career-ready to be prepared for adult life. Parallel to the emergence of college and career readiness (CCR), transition planning and service requirements have promoted successful transitions to post school education, employment, and community living. 
 This study primarily aimed to find the difference in the level of functioning in the Pizza Making Program as part of the Job Readiness and Work Placement Program of high school learners with special educational needs in terms of their cognitive skills, functional skills, behavioral skills, and daily life skills. The majority of high school students with special educational needs in the pre-evaluation had a rarely observed and practiced level of functioning in terms of cognitive, functional, behavioral, and daily life skills. 
 There was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test in the four skills: cognitive, functional, behavioral, and daily life skills. This indicates that utilizing the program and giving more constant exposure to it would help the learner with special educational needs reach the highest level of functioning, which is always observing and practicing the skills needed in order to have a successful transition to college and in obtaining and maintaining integrated and inclusive employment.