A bridge to the work world

Transition program lands jobs for special ed students

“Mike Hamernik didn’t have time to stop and give an interview.Excuse me, he said politely while moving toward a stack of unopened boxes in a Wal-Mart aisle Friday morning. I have to work.Heather Franzen exhibited much the same work ethic as she flashed a quick smile, then returned to arranging boxes of Valentine candy in a corner display.I’m usually not a morning person, she said. But I get up at 5 a.m. to do this.Hamernik and Franzen are two of five Oak Harbor High School graduates who spend their mornings unloading goods and stocking shelves as part of the school district’s transition program. The program helps students with special needs make the change from high school to the workplace.The program’s coordinator Ed Coleman says many people are aware that special needs students are now an integral part of school classrooms, but not many consider what happens to them once they graduate.I mean, what’s the ultimate goal? asked Coleman. You want to know that when they get their diploma they’re going to go somewhere and do something – that they’re going to have a life.To that end, the program helps the young adults land internships and jobs and instructs them on basic life skills such as planning, time management, diet and personal presentation.We have to shave, said student Adam Rauch adding that clean clothes, combed hair and well-brushed teeth are also required.Something we stress is that just like everybody else, we have to be ready for work, Coleman said. If they’re not ready they can’t go to their job.Students can take part in the transition program for up to three years following graduation or until their 21st birthday. There are currently 20 students enrolled. Internships have been established with the cooperation of many local businesses, including Wal-Mart, The Greenhouse, Careage of Whidbey, Ennens, Cenex and Deception Pass State Park. Several graduates of the program now hold regular jobs in the community, said Coleman.A few, such as student Jason Burley, even start their own businesses.Last month Burley established Burley the Butler, a service company which promises to run errands, do shopping and deliver flowers, balloons and gifts. People who know Burley say that neither his cerebral palsy nor his wheelchair stand in the way of getting the job done. So far, he’s out distributing business cards and trying to balance his career with studies at Skagit Valley College.Right now I want people to know I go to school. I have Wednesdays off, he said.The price for Burley’s service is his cost plus any donation his clients want to contribute. He has already decided that all proceeds will go to Special Olympics.They’re hurting financially, he said.Coleman said Burley’s endeavor is just the kind of thing the program hopes to accomplish.In the time I’ve known Jason I’ve come to know he’s a real people person. This is something that is really important. I think his Burley the Butler business will allow him to help people.Burley said he can be reached at 675-4888. He will also be pitching his business at the school district’s Transition Fair on Thursday.Oak Harbor Wal-Mart personnel manager Michelle Meyer said the store’s three-year-old partnership with the transition program has worked well for everyone.We teach them skills they can use in the job market. There are a lot of jobs they do very well and it gives them a lot of confidence, she said. At the same time, the transition students learn how to work with others and with customers.In return, the store gets highly-motivated workers who provide a valuable service. Though none of students who have interned at Wal-Mart so far have gone on to full-time jobs, Meyer said it hasn’t been because they didn’t measure up.Many of them would fully meet or hiring requirements, she said.Coleman said he’s pleased with the way the transition program is working and what it means to his students.Usually if you have a job other things start falling into place in your life, he said. It’s a great equalizer. But Coleman, who has been with the program for seven years, worries about what lies ahead for his students once they leave the program. Currently state departments such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Developmental Disabilities and other agencies pick up where the transition program stops. Coleman said Gov. Gary Locke’s current budget before the Legislature contains no money to continue transition programs past age 21. He said it’s important to keep transition services going in order to give everyone a good chance at success.Everyone wants to have jobs. They want to be working. It’s the final bridge for many of them. We’ll be cutting off the bridge.————————–Learn moreYou’ll have a good opportunity to meet the young adults of the Transition Program and find out more about services for special needs students during the second annual Transition Fair on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 at North Whidbey Middle School. Representatives from the state departments of Vocational Rehabilitation and Developmental Disabilities, the Island County Housing Authority, Island Transit, Island Mental Health, parent support groups and others will be available to answer questions. In addition, community businesses have donated door prizes.For more information call the Oak harbor School District’s Special Programs Office at 679-5809. “