Step Ahead: Transforming Work Barriers

Life after graduation can be very intimidating – a feeling . Especially true for young adults with disabilities, who have the added struggle of finding work that will also accommodate their needs. The Center for Independent Living’s Step Ahead program helps to ease those fears and show young adults all the options that are available to them. By providing training and assistance to young adults with disabilities aged 14-22 years old, Step Ahead instills the knowledge and skills needed to enter the workforce through work-based learning experiences, career camps , and more.

Through our partner organizations, we provide work-based learning experiences that are highly valuable for our consumers to find a career that suits them. For example, through our partnership with AC Marriott in Downtown Orlando, our consumers work as an employee for three weeks, receiving on-the-job experience and training. Sometimes, our students will go on to receive full-time positions at the companies they learn from. These real-world opportunities give our young adults valuable experience they can rely on.

Another important part of Step Ahead is our career. This week- long program offers lessons in a fun and interactive way, teaching soft skills, time management, workplace appropriate behavior, and problem solving. Participants also attend field trips to potential workplaces and hear from guest speakers. These camps prepare our consumers to enter the workforce by giving them insights and practice that helps them succeed. 

Similarly to our career camps, Project SEARCH helps young adults aged 18-21. This program is a longer version of the work-based learning experiences in which participants spend three, 10-week rotations working at Lakeland Regional Health. Our transition program is a similar, with participants getting work experience at Advent Health East Orlando. These in-depth programs give our consumers on-the-job training, experience, and opportunities to form connections with employers. Many participants have stayed on to work full-time with these hospitals once the program is over.

Every part of the Step Ahead program has something to offer our consumers. CIL’s goal is to help our consumers live as independently as possible, and for many, having a career is an integral part of doing so. To learn more about Step Ahead, visit https://cilorlando.org/programs/step-ahead/.