Transition Tidbits

Planning Now for a Stronger Spring Celebration

For nearly a decade, National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) has taken place each November, highlighting the power of “earn-and-learn” opportunities across the country. Beginning in 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor is moving NAW to the spring—late April/early May -- to align more closely with graduation season, hiring cycles, and end-of-year career exploration activities.

This shift creates new opportunities for schools, educators, and workforce partners to connect students’ transition planning directly to apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and work-based learning (WBL) pathways as they prepare for postsecondary life.

What Educators Can Do Now to Prepare for NAW 2025

Even though NAW won’t be celebrated until spring, November is the perfect time to start planning.

Here are steps schools can take to make the most of this transition:

1. Map Existing Work-Based Learning and Pre-Apprenticeship Opportunities

• Review which career and technical programs, transition partnerships, and employers already offer WBL experiences.

• Identify where a registered pre-apprenticeship could fit for 2025 (e.g., construction, healthcare, IT, education, advanced manufacturing).

• Use the Apprenticeship Readiness Checklist to assess student preparedness and support needs.

2. Engage Local Employers and Workforce Boards

• Reach out now to local Workforce Development Boards, PA CareerLink® offices, or Chambers of Commerce to explore joint NAW events in the spring.

• Discuss potential open houses, panel discussions, or job-shadow days to celebrate NAW 2025.

3. Involve Students in Event Planning

• Have students form a NAW Planning Team as a class project or leadership activity.

• Students can help design promotional materials, interview employers, or develop a “Day in the Life of an Apprentice” feature for social media.

4. Build Curriculum Connections

• Integrate lessons on apprenticeship pathways, career clusters, and competency-based training into academic or CTE courses.

• Consider incorporating career readiness standards and employability skills tied to WBL experiences.

5. Gather Stories and Data

• Begin collecting student success stories, photos, and WBL outcomes now to feature in your NAW campaign.

• Use this time to track how apprenticeships are supporting inclusion, skill growth, and post-school success.

6. Mark Your Calendar

• Visit Apprenticeship.gov for updates on official 2025 NAW dates, themes, and toolkits.

• Create a simple countdown calendar for your team to keep planning on track.

💡 Tip for Transition Coordinators

Think of May’s NAW as a culminating celebration of work-based learning for the school year. Activities like student showcases, reflection portfolios, or signing events (similar to “signing day” for college-bound students) can elevate apprenticeships as a valued and visible pathway to success.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared a new resource, “Bridging the Gap from Classroom to Community: Transition Resources related to Communication.”

In ODP, 61% of people up to 21 years of age who do not communicate with spoken words have a system for communication. However, for adults aged 22 and older, only 27-30% have a system in place. This resource provides tips on how to ensure access to effective communication during transition out of school. Please contact the ODP, Special Populations Unit at RA-PWSpecialPopUnit@pa.gov with any questions.

The Transition Planning for Communication Resource is found on MyODP. It is also attached to this message.

As we prepare for the shift of National Apprenticeship Week to May, now is the perfect time to help students chart their course toward meaningful work. Charting the LifeCourse tools—like the Trajectory for Employment, Integrated Supports Star, and One-Page Profile—can guide conversations about career goals, identify supports for success, and connect young people to apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities that align with their vision for a good life.

1. Use the LifeCourse Trajectory Tool for Career Pathway Planning

• Have students create a Career and Employment Trajectory, identifying what they want (competitive integrated employment, independence, learning a trade) and don’t want (unemployment, isolation, limited options).
• Connect desired outcomes to apprenticeship pathways or WBL experiences that build toward those outcomes.

🧰 Tool: CtLC Trajectory

2. Map Daily Life & Employment Experiences

• Use the Integrated Supports Star to identify what supports the person needs to succeed in an apprenticeship.
• Personal strengths & assets (motivation, skills)
• Relationships (mentors, job coaches)
• Technology (tools for learning or task prompts)
• Community resources (transportation, clubs, workforce boards)
• Eligibility-specific supports (OVR, ODP, or IDEA services)

🧰 Tool: Integrated Supports Star

3. Create a One-Page Profile for Apprenticeship Readiness

• Students can complete a CtLC One-Page Profile summarizing:
• What people like and admire about me
• What’s important to me (career goals, preferences, environment)
• How to best support me at work
• This can be shared with employers, mentors, or job coaches as part of an apprenticeship placement packet.

🧰 Tool: One Page Profile in Schools

4. Plan for Success and Supports Using the LifeCourse Portfolio

• Use the CtLC Portfolio to organize:
• Résumé and credentials
• Skills inventory
• Support strategies for work-based learning
• Reflection on strengths, challenges, and next steps

🧰 Tool: LifeCourse Employment Portfolio

5. Include Families in the Conversation

• Facilitate a family-focused LifeCourse Trajectory to help caregivers envision what “a good life” looks like for their young person after high school.
• Link those dreams to career exposure, work experiences, and apprenticeship pathways.

🧰 Tool: Family Perspective

Amazing young people in Pennsylvania are gaining valuable skills through work-based learning and apprenticeship experiences. Students who engage in these opportunities throughout high school are more likely to achieve success in postsecondary education and their future careers. This section celebrates the impact of work-based learning across the state and highlights programs helping youth build meaningful career pathways.

Below are several Pennsylvania-specific programs you can explore with your youth teams to help students access experiences that pave the way for success after high school and into their careers.

Project Search: Provides students with hands-on, work-based learning experiences in real business settings, preparing them for competitive employment after high school. (learn more)

PA Career Link: Connects youth with apprenticeships, internships, and career opportunities, supporting work-based learning and career exploration. (learn more)

Philadelphia Youth Network’s “WorkReady” Initiative: Gives youth paid internships and job-shadowing experiences to build skills and workplace readiness. (learn more)

North Western PA JobConnect: Provides youth with job training, work-based learning, and apprenticeship placements to prepare for employment success. (learn more)

One more thing! We’re excited to announce that this year’s Pennsylvania Department of Education Conference will feature a designated youth space for youth participants, attendees, and student shoppe volunteers to relax, connect, and engage with one another. This space will provide a welcoming opportunity for youth organizations to network and strengthen youth leadership across Pennsylvania. More information will be shared soon!

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is offering individualized healthy relationship and sexuality education for adults 18 and up with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sessions are available in person or via Zoom. A trained sexuality educator will customize the lessons and learning experience to meet each client's needs. Topics covered may include online safety, healthy relationships, personal health, and more. All sessions are free of charge. Email iodhsp@temple.edu to learn more.

Do you know students who make & sell their own products?

We’re highlighting mini-businesses established by students in the #secondarytransition process at the 2026 PDE Conference!

• Applications due Friday, 1/9/26
• Contact the PDE Exhibit Hall team to apply
• pdeconferenceexhibitors@pattankop.net

The Student Shoppe is a great opportunity for #SpecialEducationInPa students to expand their work skills and broaden their understanding of marketing, advertising, and sales.

Apply now and join us in #MakingADifferenceinPA!

http://tinyurl.com/PAEdConf

Apprenticeship.gov is the one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources. Discover apprenticeships across industries, how programs are started by employers, and how to become an apprentice.

Don't forget to check out the apprenticeship job finder!

A comprehensive toolkit from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Work-Based Learning Toolkit includes templates, guidance, roles, types of WBL, planning tips, etc.

Developed by the Center on Transition Innovations, the Career Planning Toolkit is a resource for educators and counselors supporting students with significant disabilities through the career planning process. It includes hands-on activities, assessments, and instructional practices to help students plan for their careers as they prepare for a successful transition to postsecondary education or employment.

Looking for a place where you can Connect, Collect, & Contribute

to all things secondary transition?

Connect with people from across our state to collect

resources, share events and contribute stories about positive post-school outcomes!

Click here to create an account and login to join our PA Secondary Transition- Public Square.

The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) helps individuals with disabilities prepare for, secure, and maintain employment. OVR offers a wide range of employment services, including:

• Career counseling and guidance to identify strengths, interests, and goals.

• Job training and skills development to build work readiness.

• Work-based learning experiences and internships for youth with disabilities.

• Job placement and coaching supports to promote success in competitive, integrated employment.

• Assistive technology and workplace accommodations to remove barriers to independence.

OVR also supports Pennsylvania’s business community through its Business Services Division (BSD) which partners with employers to:

• Connect them with a skilled and diverse talent pool of job seekers with disabilities.

• Provide disability awareness and accessibility resources.

• Share information on hiring incentives.

• Build inclusive workforce practices that meet business and community needs.

Together, OVR’s employment services and BSD’s employer partnerships create a strong bridge between job seekers with disabilities and businesses seeking qualified talent—advancing Pennsylvania’s Employment First vision.

Are you looking to learn more information about transition?

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) provides information, tools, and supports to assist multiple stakeholders to provide effective services and instruction for students and out-of-school youth with disabilities.

Check out their Training Resource Library.

If you're new to transition, be sure to check out Transition 101!

Participants will gain insight into effective approaches that empower educators, families, and students, as well as learn about the Zarrow Institute’s most widely used transition resources.

November 12

7:00 to 8:00 pm CST

Register Here

This webinar is designed to help organizations develop and implement successful travel training programs. It provides valuable insights into best practices, stakeholder engagement, and program administration to ensure individuals, including people with disabilities and older adults, gain the skills needed for independent travel on public transportation.

November 13

12:00 - 2:00 pm ET

Registration Fee: $50

Register Here

Session Dates

Wednesday February 04, 2026 - Online
Friday March 27, 2026 - Online

This course is designed to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively implement work-based learning experiences for students with disabilities. Participants will explore the importance of work-based learning as a critical component of secondary transition planning and learn basic guidelines for creating sound, legal, and meaningful programs. The activities are designed to empower participants to develop a work-based learning toolkit that supports the implementation of course outcomes.

Objectives

• Explain why work-based learning is a critical component of secondary transition planning for students with disabilities
• Apply basic guidelines to create sound, legal, and meaningful work-based learning programs tailored to students with disabilities
• Design a comprehensive work-based learning toolkit to effectively facilitate work-based learning experiences

Target Audience

Special Education Teachers, Transition Coordinators, Special Education Administrators

Topics Covered: Secondary Transition

Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate individuals who have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and who need assistance at this event. Contact: Kristen Olszyk at kolszyk@pattan.net

Use this link to register~

Are you looking for transition events across PA?

Don't forget to check the events calendar to stay up to date on all of the great events happening in PA and nationally related to secondary transition!

The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a group of various stakeholders from across Pennsylvania who work collaboratively to ensure appropriate transition outcomes for Pennsylvania youth and young adults.

The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a state leadership team consisting of representative from: the State Departments of Education, Health, Labor and Industry, and Human Services; Various Serving Agencies, Young Adults, Parent Organizations, Advocates, Higher Education, and Employers.

The shared vision and common goals of the Pennsylvania Community on Transition is achieved when all PA youth and young adults with disabilities:

• Successfully transition to the role of productive and participating adult citizens
• Are empowered to recognize their talents, strengths, and voice
• Have equal access to resources that will promote their full participation in the communities of their choice.

Email: pasecondarytransition@gmail.com
Website: https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/
Phone: 4128266878
Twitter: @hmangiskuntz