CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESPONSE • Have you downloaded COVIDWISE, Virginia's COVID-19 exposure notification app? Add your phone to the fight here. For up-to-date information, assistance, and resources from across state government, click here.

Career Pathways

The workforce has changed...

In our highly technical world, knowledge and skills are critical to employers. How can Career Pathways help you prepare for today’s workforce?

Career Pathways connects Virginians with disabilities to the education, training and industry-recognized credentials needed to qualify for high-demand jobs.

Career exploration
Employable skills
In-demand jobs
Marketable credentials

Skilled training
Support services
Technical training
Workforce-ready

Check out our Upcoming
Career Cafés!

Each quarter we will highlight a particular career pathways. Attend these Career Cafés and hear about training opportunities, talk with employees in the field and learn what employers are needing in their new hires.

Health Services: Talking to an Employee
When: Aug 25, 2022 04:00
Register in advance for this meeting

Health Services: Talking to an Employer
When: Sep 22, 2022 04:00 PM
Register in advance for this meeting

Emergency Services: Learn about Training Options
When: Oct 27, 2022 04:00 PM
Register in advance for this meeting

Emergency Services: Talking with an Employee
When: Nov 17, 2022 04:00 PM
Register in advance for this meeting

Emergency Services: Talking with an Employer
When: Dec 15, 2022 04:00 PM
Register in advance for this meeting

Microsoft Word icon View a full list of Career Cafés

Career Café Videos

Watch Past Career Café's Below

Career Seekers

Explore your career pathway

Your counselor will work with you to assist in:

Counseling and career planning
Developing an individual employment plan
Assessing job readiness skills
Developing resume
Identifying credentials or certifications needed

Prepping for GED, adult education
Finding internships/work experiences
Preparing for job search
Identifying supports or assistive technology needed

How do I develop a Career Plan?

Self-Exploration. Analyze your talents and interests, make a list
Career Exploration. Analyze jobs available, what they pay and the skills and education needed
Identify jobs where your talent and interests meet in-demand occupations
Develop a tentative career plan with a pathway that includes education, training and credentials. Your DARS and DBVI counselors can help
Pursue your goals

Resources

The following resources help lead you on your career pathway, including what jobs are in demand in Virginia, what training is required and where you can find the necessary training or education.

WWRC Manufacturing Technology Training
Career Index Plus
Virginia Community Colleges' Industry Credentials
Virginia CareerExplorer
Virginia Workforce Connection

Not connected with DARS or DBVI?
Contact us to get connected today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Career Pathways?

Virginia’s vocational rehabilitation agencies offer individuals with disabilities a new way to navigate their career. CP encourages people to attain marketable career credentials, qualify for skilled jobs and earn a livable wage.

What jobs will be targeted?

CP targets Virginia’s high-growth industry sectors, identifies advanced credentials and provides work-based training programs. Industries include advanced manufacturing, logistics and information technology.

What opportunities are there for young adults?

Discover the opportunities available with VR Transition and Pre-Employment Transition Services

Who makes a good candidate for training?

Participants should be working with or potentially eligible for vocational rehabilitation services through DARS or DBVI.

Why is it important to earn credentials?

Manufacturing credentials including Manufacturing Technician, Manufacturing Specialist, OSHA 10 and Career Readiness Certification are desired and often required by many businesses so it will increase job opportunities.

Businesses

Virginia's Vocational Rehabilitation agencies can provide a pipeline of skilled, credentialed individuals with disabilities who are ready to work. They can help meet your hiring needs including diversity and federal contractor requirements.

Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services has dedicated business development Managers who can assist employers with recruiting, screening , training and retention.

Learn how you can Put Ability to Work in your business.

Resources

Training & Activities

CP 2020 Summer Academies

Check out the post secondary training opportunities at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center.
This residential facility provides training options to individuals with disabilities in the state of Virginia. If you are interested contact your Vocational Rehabilitation counselor or local VR office

Like to listen to podcasts?

The VR Workforce Studio highlights vocational rehabilitation stories here in Virginia.

The VR Workforce Studio website and podcast focuses on Individuals with Disabilities and stories of employment including training and education, vocational rehabilitation and celebrates the champions of employment who hire people with disabilities as well as vocational rehabilitation professionals and the work they do to create hope and a path forward to employment for people with disabilities so they can work and lead better lives.

Explore and listen to podcasts at https://vrworkforcestudio.com/

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselors

Vocational Rehabilitation counselors are an important referral source for CP services. They can help Identify potential candidates seeking employment – from transition age to adults.

Consult with consumer and counselor

Discuss involving information regarding local LMI, certifications available, training opportunities and academics needed.

Assist with career exploration

Work with area VR counselors to set up opportunities for students.
Consider tours of manufacturers, colleges and/or secondary schools

Academy Information

Supply list of academies/camps available in the area
Assist with application, paperwork and possible funding.

Assist with Accommodations

Discuss assistive technology currently using and lending options available.
Funded by self-pay, school provided, CP or VR in field.

Assist with career assessment/exploration

Discuss Career Pathways in advanced manufacturing, IT and healthcare.
Explore achievement/aptitude results and interest.
Either funded by CP or VE in field.

Virginia CP and a DEMAND SIDE APPROACH: Developing Career Pathways While Meeting Business Needs

This is the third of a four-part webinar series on Career Pathways. This pre-recorded Webinar will cover specific strategies from the Virginia Career Pathways. Items addressed during the webinar include:

How the Virginia Career Pathways approach has infused assistive technology to improve credential attainment and employment outcomes for participants.
How to identify assistive technology devices used in modern manufacturing, logistics, and information technology or IT, and understand how participants can use these devices in their own agencies.
Understanding how self-regulation and sensory assistive technology can help individuals learn and enhance their ability to focus.
Understanding how a CP assistive technology partnership model has been developed for sustainability and how they can use a similar model in their agency.

This webinar is hosted by the Career Pathways, or CP project in Virginia, including the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the George Washington University Center for Rehabilitation Counseling, Research, and Education.

This webinar is close captioned and a transcript is available. You can also obtain CRC credit by viewing the webinar and completing the evaluation.

You can view this webinar at https://gwcrcre.org/event-virginia-cpid-a-fully-accessible-approach/

WIOA, Career Pathways, & Pre-Employment Transition Services Webinar

Register for this Webinar on WIOA, Career Pathways, & Pre-Employment Transition Services. Presentation materials are available for download once registered. CRC credits (1) will be awarded upon completion and submission of your evaluation. This Webinar is pre-recorded and available on demand which means participants can view this recording at any time.

If you have any questions or need additional information please contact Brenda Simmons, bksimmons@gwu.edu, or at 816.739.7648.

Co-Enrollment Webinar

View a webinar on how WIOA co-enrollment programs benefit consumers.

CP and a Demand Side Approach Webinar

View a webinar focusing on activities that illustrate how CP has successfully engaged business with our initiatives and outcomes resulting from those activities.

CP VR Counselor Training

View a series of PowerPoint slides used during a 1-day VR Counselor training by CP staff and George Washington University.

For more information on Career Pathways

Contact kate.kaegi@dars.virginia.gov or tish.harris@dbvi.virginia.gov

You can find and download additional CP forms and resources in the Document Repository

VR Workforce Studio

Listen to the latest podcast from VR Workforce Studio, featuring interviews with the CP staff.

Resource Library

Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities Sustainability Guide

PPT

Best Practice Series

Assistive Technology Loaner Library
An Assistive Technology/ Occupational Therapist describes the successful use of AT in the classroom and at work initiated during the VACPID.
- Best Practices: Assistive Technology for Career Training and at Work
- Logistics and Manufacturing Assistive Technology
Addressing Sensory Issues
An Assistive Technology/ Occupational Therapist describes the development and deployment of sensory kits and strategies developed to help DARS clients on the autism spectrum self-regulate and remain focused in training and at work.
- Best Practices: Clients with a Neurodiversity Diagnosis and Sensory Issues
Assistive Technology Sensory Aids
A chart of Sensory Aids for use by Occupational Therapists for sensory-based interventions and accommodations/adaptations. These are used in combination with a thorough assessment and individualized according to an individual’s specific needs.
- Best Practices: Sensory Aids
Autism, Manufacturing Training, and Career Pathways Success
The Manufacturing Technology (MT) training program is a highly specialized course based on the techniques and interrelationships found in high performance manufacturing and production. This documents a soft skills curriculum developed for WWRC and fully integrated into the MT program over two years, leading to a high rate of successful outcomes for students with no previous work experience.
- Best Practices: Autism, MT Training and CPID Model for Success
- MTT-RG Curriculum Guide
Bridge to Career Pathways Training
A description of the VACPID partnership with Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC) and Adult Education that established a bridge course for VR clients who were good candidates for career training, but who needed trade-related academics and training in soft skills in order to be successful.
Career Interest Academies for Youth and Adults
Opportunity for candidates to explore high tech careers that allow them to participate in hands on activities. VACPID hosted 39 academies for youth and adults.
Enhancing Co-enrollments with one WIOA Workforce Center
A dedicated effort with a career one stop that increased co-enrollments from 2 to 36 over one year by improving communications and processes. A counselor checklist and VR/WIOA flowchart is included.
Cohort Training
The successful method initiated during the VACPID that supports cohorts of clients preparing for and or entering post-secondary training through the development of partnerships with training providers.
- Training Partners: Community College, Adult Education and Private Partners
Counselor Tools
Useful information for counseling clients interested in career pathways. Includes overviews of Logistics and Manufacturing Technologies, Career Pathways and Labor Market information, joint program planning with examples, and a career pathways plan template.
Paid Internship Program
An internship model with successful employment outcomes that provided candidates with credentials the opportunity to demonstrate their skill sets and what they learned in their training programs. The VR business manager develops the business relationship, defines the work objectives and employer expectations.
- Best Practices: VACPID Paid Intership
Developing Partnerships with Employment Associations
Explores how VACPID worked with the Virginia Manufacturers Association and the Northern VA Technology Counsel. Overviews the relationship and opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
- Best Practices: Developing Partnerships with Employment Associations
- Lean Assessment Overview
Serving Clients on Delayed List
The Career Pathways Counselor describes the group method used to reach out to VR clients on the delayed list, some waiting as long as two years, to introduce and evaluate these individuals to career pathways.
- Best Practices: Serving VR Clients on the Delayed List
Vocational Evaluators and Career Pathways
Describes the evolution of career pathways-oriented assessments by VR vocational evaluators as they developed Career Pathways skill sheets, examined assessment techniques, shared resources, trained together and built an ongoing supportive network.

Webinars

Career Pathway Webinar Series for Virginia

Virginia’s Career Pathways (CP) grant is a federally-funded grant project (CFDA #84.235N) through the Department of Education. The content of this website does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.)

CONTACT US

Kate Kaegi
Careers, Project Manager
Kate.Kaegi@dars.virginia.gov
(804) 241-7936

Sandra Phipps
DHRM/DARS Liaison
Sandra.Phipps@dars.virginia.gov
(804) 688-5841

Jeannine Marsh
Statewide Quick Response Coordinator
Jeannine.Marsh@dars.virginia.gov
(804) 659-2679

POLICIES & WEB STANDARDS

Learn about our policies on gathering information, plug-ins and more.
ADA | FOIA | Web Use | Accessibility

For technical questions about the website, contact the Webmasters.

Career Pathways

The workforce has changed...

In our highly technical world, knowledge and skills are critical to employers. How can Career Pathways help you prepare for today’s workforce?

Check out our Upcoming Career Cafés!

Career Café Videos

Career Seekers

Explore your career pathway

How do I develop a Career Plan?

Resources

Not connected with DARS or DBVI? Contact us to get connected today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Career Pathways?

What jobs will be targeted?

What opportunities are there for young adults?

Who makes a good candidate for training?

Why is it important to earn credentials?

Businesses

Resources

Training & Activities

CP 2020 Summer Academies

Like to listen to podcasts?

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselors

Virginia CP and a DEMAND SIDE APPROACH: Developing Career Pathways While Meeting Business Needs

WIOA, Career Pathways, & Pre-Employment Transition Services Webinar

Co-Enrollment Webinar

CP and a Demand Side Approach Webinar

CP VR Counselor Training

For more information on Career Pathways

VR Workforce Studio

Listen to the latest podcast from VR Workforce Studio, featuring interviews with the CP staff.

Resource Library

Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities Sustainability Guide

PPT

Best Practice Series

Webinars

CONTACT US

POLICIES & WEB STANDARDS

© Career Pathways

Check out our Upcoming
Career Cafés!

Not connected with DARS or DBVI?
Contact us to get connected today.