Bridging the gap between high school and the workforce is one of the most significant challenges for neurodivergent learners. Many students with intellectual disabilities face a steep "transition cliff" upon graduation, struggling to access postsecondary education or sustainable employment. This session explores how Southwest Florida tackled this challenge through the evolution of the School District of Lee County’s How I Reach Employment (HIRE) Program. Expanding into a community-wide coalition, this initiative creates a seamless, cross-sector pipeline connecting K-12 CTE, technical colleges, and local employers.
We will unpack the mechanics of this program, specifically focusing on the integration of Specialized Career Education as a transition to postsecondary CTE. This includes academic enrichment, career exploration, and CTE program shadowing. We will also share the data backing up the success of this model in closing the workforce gap for neurodivergent learners. We will demonstrate how moving from a siloed secondary program to a community-wide coalition transformed outcomes. Attendees will explore:
- Joint Ownership of Pathways: How the coalition fosters shared accountability between K-12 systems, technical colleges, and local workforce boards.
- Student Supports & Navigation: Evidence-based practices for advising and supporting students with intellectual disabilities during critical transitions between secondary graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and workforce entry.
- Employer Integration: Strategies for moving beyond basic advisory boards to deeply integrating employers into the coalition, ensuring postsecondary pathways align with actual, inclusive labor market needs.
By sharing practical lessons learned in Southwest Florida, this session will equip institutional leaders and CTE practitioners with the actionable tools needed to build their own "Workforce with Unique Ability Coalitions," connecting innovation to impact and ensuring every learner has a pathway to workforce success.
Who Will Benefit
This session is designed for postsecondary administrators, CTE faculty, system leaders, transition coordinators, and student advising staff who are passionate about equity, inclusion, and strengthening secondary-to-postsecondary alignment.
How It Will Help Attendees Apply the Content
Participants will leave with a practical, replicable framework to prevent vulnerable students from falling through the cracks. Rather than focusing solely on theory, we will dissect real-world strategies for breaking down institutional silos. Attendees will learn exactly how to approach local workforce boards, secure buy-in from postsecondary technical programs, and partner with regional employers to build inclusive, customized training pathways in their own districts.
How We Will Engage the Audience
This will be an action-oriented, interactive presentation. Engagement strategies include:
- Case Study Breakdown: A brief, dynamic presentation of the HIRE Program's evolution and the data supporting its success.
- "Coalition Building" Mapping Activity: Participants will engage in a guided workshop where they use a custom matrix to identify and map out potential cross-sector partners (K-12, postsecondary, and industry) within their own home regions.
- Peer-to-Peer Discussion: Brief, structured sharing of the mapping activity results to brainstorm solutions to common regional roadblocks.
- Live Q&A: Dedicated time to address specific implementation challenges attendees are facing at their home institutions.
Deliverables and Resources Provided
To ensure attendees can immediately put these ideas into practice, we will provide:
- Digital Access to the Slide Deck: A comprehensive copy of the presentation.
- The Unique Ability Stakeholder Mapping Tool: A printable and digital worksheet used during the session to help institutions identify regional partners.
- The Coalition Blueprint: A step-by-step PDF handout outlining the phases of establishing a local Unique Ability Coalition, including sample agendas for initial cross-sector meetings.
