The Impact of Pre-Employment Transition and Individualized Vocational Rehabilitation Services on Employment Outcomes for Youth With Disabilities

• Published in: Career development and transition for exceptional individuals
• Main Authors: Taylor, Joshua P., Whittenburg, Holly N., Avellone, Lauren, Castruita Rios, Yazmin, Park, Sara, Poppen, Marcus, Tansey, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 28.03.2024
• ISSN: 2165-1434; 2165-1442
• DOI: 10.1177/21651434241239967

Despite increased attention by policymakers to improve postsecondary employment outcomes, rates of entry into the competitive workforce for transition-age youth with disabilities continue to lag behind their peers without disabilities. The passing of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 provided increased opportunities for transition-age youth with disabilities to prepare for the world of work through coordinated service delivery between schools and state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, including work-based learning, an established predictor of competitive employment. The current study uses the Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Case Service Report (RSA-911) data between the fiscal years 2017 to 2020. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors associated with successful employment among 15,295 transition-age youth with disabilities who received both Pre-ETS and individualized VR services. Findings indicate discrepancies between the most effective and most frequently provided services. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are discussed.