Realistic Strategies to Build Work Skills for High School and Transition-Aged Students

Matthew Husband, OTD, OTR/L shares his innovative "Get to Work" program, an after-school initiative providing realistic work experiences for high school students who could succeed in employment with the right supports. The program follows a monthly pattern with on-campus training focused on hard and soft skills, followed by community-based experiences at actual workplaces including pizzerias, box stores, grocery stores, and laundry facilities.

Matthew discusses how occupational therapists can support transition planning through self-determination skills training and standardized resource guides for students and families. He emphasizes the importance of starting small with on-campus work opportunities if off-campus trips aren't feasible, including mail room tasks, cafeteria work, recycling programs, and classroom helper roles.

Whether you work in a private or public school setting, this episode offers practical strategies to prepare students for life after graduation through building confidence in their employment abilities. Listen to discover how Matthew's "four pots garden" analogy demonstrates how small projects can grow with proven success and learn actionable ways to incorporate employment readiness skills into your school-based OT practice.

Listen now to learn the following objectives:

• Learners will identify how to implement strategies for developing realistic work experiences (off-campus partnerships or on-campus tasks) and how these experiences contribute to authentic work readiness.
• Learners will recall the content and purpose of a standardized transition resource guide, including tailoring content to local resources and explaining its role in family engagement.
• Learners will explain how self-determination training helps students identify their preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, and how to write and track SMART goals to support employment outcomes after graduation.

Visit pearsonassessments.com/OTResources to explore assessments designed with your clinical reasoning in mind.

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