College & Career Readiness – WorkAbility
Natomas Unified Vision: “All students graduate as college and career ready, productive, responsible, and engaged global citizens.”
WorkAbility supports the vision of NUSD: WorkAbility guides students in college readiness by providing self-advocacy training, college speakers, and college tour field trips. WorkAbility builds students to be career ready by offering work readiness training, paid work experience, career exploration, and career exploration field trips.
WorkAbility helps secondary students with special education services prepare for the world of work. Funded by the California Department of Education, WorkAbility offers students the opportunity to complete their secondary education while also learning about employment, careers and obtaining marketable job skills.
Middle School
Middle School activities include career exploration, interest assessment, career speakers, pre-vocational training and visiting workplaces or colleges. Eighth-grade students also take a tour of the high school they will be attending. On the tour, students learn about academics, sports, clubs, and the learning center where they receive support. Further, counselors orient the students to credits, high school graduation, and college preparation.
High School
High School activities focus on students taking charge of their future. Activities include ongoing career exploration, building self-advocacy skills, assessment of vocational interests and abilities, work-readiness training, paid work experience, employment support and preparation, college tour field trips, field trips to local industries and workplaces, college and career speakers, and inter-agency collaboration.
WorkAbility Job Placement
WorkAbility Job Placement places high school students ages 16 and above, who meet work ready criteria, in paid work experience positions in the local community. Students first must complete work readiness training through “Job Club,” then they are placed in agencies and businesses in the Natomas area. Students successfully work in retail stores, restaurants, school programs, businesses, and libraries. In Job Club, students receive training in interview preparation, following directions, teamwork, attitude, dependability, initiative and work pride, punctuality, task performance, customer service, and timesheet and form completion.
Who to Contact
Sureatha Reed, WorkAbility Job Developer
(916) 275-0099