When students have completed Life Skills Class, they begin Careers Class. The goal of Careers Class is to help students successfully transition from training to education or employment. Because each student comes to the class with different dreams, skills, and life experiences, this class is highly individualized. Some people have little or no idea what career they wish to pursue and need to take interest inventories, conduct informational interviews, or do some job shadowing. Some people want to research and learn alternative techniques that they could use to return to their former employment. Some people wish to earn a GED or enter a post-secondary educational institution and need to learn alternative techniques for obtaining access to textbooks, participating in science labs, etc. Some people need to write a resume or practice their interviewing skills. Some people need to learn alternative techniques for conducting a job search. Whatever the situation, Careers class is where students can take the necessary steps toward embarking on or continuing theircareer.
There are two principles built into the Careers Class. The first principle is that we know that blind people can and do hold a wide range of jobs so we don't pigeon-hole people or channel them into one particular line of work. We don't want to tell people what they can and cannot do, we want to help them find ways to do what they need to do to accomplish their life goals. The second principle is that we do not deal only with the practical issues involved in going to college or finding a job, but we also want to make sure that the student has strategies and tools for dealing with the discrimination they may face due to people's misconceptions about the abilities of blind people. We know that there are many false ideas about what blind people can and cannot do in the minds of potential employers and educators and we know that blind college students and job seekers can and do overcome these barriers. We know that through perseverance and self-confidence blind people can and do become successful and lead productive and fulfilling lives.
This class is taught by Dick Davis