BUSINESS PARTNERS |
For Employers and Business Partners:
Q. What is a “job trainer”?
A. Through actual hands-on demonstration and skill development, job trainers help teach students (and adults) the necessary skills to become successful in a competitive employment environment. Our Job Trainers are proud to be part of the transition that prepares our students for a successful future and helps them obtain confidence in their abilities.
Q. How can IU13 support our business partners?
A. Our job trainers prepare students before, supervise them during, and provide training throughout their work experience. Plus, our staff works with your business every step of the way.
Q. Are short-term and long-term opportunities available?
A. From a student “job shadowing” one of your employees for a few hours to sponsoring student work experiences at your site to working with a student for a semester-long internship, many options are available to match the needs of your business and our students.
Q. Are students paid for their work?
A. Only if they are hired by your business through our Competitive Work Program, such that they are employees and receive wages. Students participating in other job training opportunities are not paid as these students are not employees. For example, students in the Community-Based Work Experience Program engage in and complete real-life work experiences at local businesses, supported and supervised by Job Trainers; as part of this educational opportunity, participants receive monetary or non-monetary incentives to reinforce program participation and simulate the “real world” experience of time in a work setting correlating to compensation, as well as providing opportunities for development of financial literacy skills. Students in the Volunteer Work Experience Program receive work experience through volunteer opportunities at local nonprofit organizations.
Q. What does sponsoring student work experiences at my business “look like”?
A. Business Partners play an invaluable role in the education of our students by welcoming students into their workplaces to learn and practice skills aligned to their IEP and/or Transition Plan. Our Business Partners provide opportunities for students to engage in and complete real-life work experiences, supported and supervised by Job Trainers to ensure quality and success. Business partners may also provide financial sponsorship, which funds student incentives for the overall Community-Based Work Experience Program.
Q. When we make a financial contribution to IU13 to sponsor community-based work experience opportunities at our location, is the contribution tax deductible?
A. Your financial contribution to IU13 (a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) is a "charitable contribution" under IRS Code, at 26 U.S.C. Section 170. IU13 will provide an acknowledgement letter annually for contributions of $250 or greater. Please seek the advice of your tax preparer regarding charitable contributions.
Q. When we sponsor community-based work experience opportunities at our location for your students, are we responsible for Worker’s Compensation?
A. No. Businesses are only responsible for liability and worker’s compensation when students are competitively employed, such as in the Competitive Work Program. Students participating in the Community-Based and Volunteer Work Experience Programs are not employees.
Q. Could we hire a student after his/her work experience with us?
A. Certainly! In fact, many of our students work for our business partners after graduation – and already have many of the specific skills needed for success thanks to their previous training with their employer. Plus, we offer continued on-site job training for our students as needed to help ensure a successful transition. We are proud that many of our students have earned competitive employment with community partners because they have been able to demonstrate their ability to complete the job and demonstrate the soft skills needed in a competitive job.
Q. How can I learn more?
A. Complete the Contact Form on this page, or feel free to contact us at 717-947-1475 or via email.
SCHOOLS |
For Schools Seeking Student Job Training Services:
Q. What types of jobs might students experience?
A. Our team works with each school/district to plan services to meet their students’ needs. Examples of services some select for their students include opportunities to experience job shadows, volunteer work experience opportunities, community-based work experience opportunities, internships or competitive employment, depending upon student abilities and needs. IU13 Job Trainers may also work with students to practice interview skills and build resume writing skills. Plus, Job Trainers can work with teachers and support teams to develop these experiences to meet each student's needs based on the student's strengths and interests. Our Job Trainers match these skills and interests with business partners in order to develop the best possible outcome for the student.
Q. Who supervises our students?
A. A key part of our team, IU13 Job Trainers supervise and support our students. Through actual hands-on demonstration and skill development, IU13 job trainers help students learn the necessary skills to become successful in a competitive employment environment. Our job trainers work very closely with our school and business partners to ensure success!
Q. Are students paid for their work?
A. Only if they are hired by a business through our Competitive Work Program, such that they are employees and receive wages. Students participating in other job training opportunities are not paid as these students are not employees. For example, students in the Community-Based Work Experience Program engage in and complete real-life work experiences at local businesses, supported and supervised by Job Trainers; as part of this educational opportunity, participants receive monetary or non-monetary incentives to reinforce program participation and simulate the “real world” experience of time in a work setting correlating to compensation, as well as providing opportunities for development of financial literacy skills. Students in the Volunteer Work Experience Program receive work experience through volunteer opportunities at local nonprofit organizations.
Q. Who supplies transportation to work sites?
A. IU13 Job Training Services will provide transportation during the school day. Parents are responsible for transportation for competitive employment occurring after school hours.
Q. Would IU13 staff come to our school to provide services?
A. Yes. IU13 staff will provide services within the school and in the community.
Q. What would IU13 Job Training Services cost?
A. Cost varies based on a variety of factors including how many and how often students participate, and what types of services we provide. Please contact us to discuss options and how we might design a customized program to meet your needs.
Q. Why should we choose IU13 to provide job training services?
A. IU13 has been providing high-quality job training services for 25+ years, and we bring that expertise and experience to each school we serve. Our 60+ staff members stand ready to prepare your students to join over 2,200 other youth and adults we already serve.
Q. How can I learn more?
A. Complete the quick form below, or feel free to contact us at 717-947-1475 or via email.
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