Over a dozen state agencies throughout Nevada are taking advantage of a unique program allowing high school students with disabilities to obtain work experience by serving as interns.
To honor the interns for their successful completion of the program, recognition ceremonies were held today at the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) offices Carson City, Reno, and Las Vegas.
The program was created by the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, which is a program within DETR. Through its transition program, the bureau assists high school students who have disabilities in gaining the skills they need after high school to transition to employment or postsecondary education, said Shelley Hendren, administrator for DETR’s Rehabilitation Division which oversees the Bureau.
“We are proud of this program and have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the state agencies and the interns as to the value of this experience,” Hendren said. “This is an opportunity for these young people who are very capable, to learn important skills that can transfer into competitive, integrated employment in the future. This work experience will go a long way in showing potential employers what these young people have to offer in the workplace. It also helps instill self-confidence and the ability to make informed choices about their career paths.”
Through this six-week summer internship program, 43 students are working at these various state agency work sites learning specific job skills and general workplace behavior/etiquette that will help them become employed when they complete high school. The interns are paid through the program and are being provided any necessary workplace accommodations to be successful, Hendren said.
