Graduates of inclusive post secondary programs (IPSE) have a better chance of finding employment.
Education & Transition Programs
For those who want to enter or reenter the job market, there are a broad range of education and transition programs for people with disabilities. These programs provide employment and internship opportunities from as early as high school to older adults seeking their first job. Programs and services include:
North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation (NCVR) offers Pre-employment Transition Services, School to Life Services and On-the-Job Training Programs. For more information, contact your local NCVR office or visit their website at ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dvrs
NCCDD's Expansion of Employment Opportunities initiative is working to offer paid apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) interested in a specific career field. Click here for more information on this NCCDD initiative.
Project SEARCH is a successful internship program designed to prepare high school students and young adults with I/DD to obtain employment after graduation. Currently there are 12 sites across the state. Click here for more information on this program.
Learning and Earning After High School is Western Carolina University’s initiative to create a sustainable approach to providing transition services for students with I/DD in conjunction with the NC Department of Public Instruction. Click here to visit the Roads to Earning and Learning website.
Inclusive Post Secondary Education (IPSE) programs have proven to maintain a 40% paid competitive employment rate among program participants and there are now approximately 27 post secondary education programs in North Carolina. Click here for a comprehensive chart that contains information about all PSE programs, including community colleges and universities, across North Carolina. You will find contact information and website addresses of those schools with inclusive programs on this chart.
