The Transitional Vocational Program (TVP) is a specialized program element under Training for Work. The objective of TVP is to provide eligible individuals with training and guidance that will contribute directly to their ability to obtain employment and establish and maintain independence. Independent living in and of itself is not the desired outcome for TVP.
Transitional Vocational Program is based upon the following premises:
- Persons who are assessed with a mild developmental disability have the capacity to contribute to their own economic and personal sustainability through employment.
- Success in the workplace can be attainable through training that combines living skills, employability skills, occupational skills and work experience.
POLICY
Eligible Individuals Specific to Transitional Vocational Program
To be eligible for TVP, individuals must be identified as having a developmental disability. This requirement is unique to TVP.
A person with a developmental disability is defined as an individual who is:
- experiencing significant limitation in intellectual capacity which significantly affects the ability to learn and perform daily living skills.
- An applicant’s intellectual capacity is determined through a formal IQ test that has been administered by a registered psychologist.
- Limitations in intellectual capacity are defined as a full-scale IQ score of two or more standard deviations below the average IQ of 100. A standard deviation is 15 points, so two or more standard deviations is an IQ score of 70 or less and
- experiencing limitation in adaptive skills.
- Defined by the need for help to perform two or more of the following adaptive skills areas: communication; home living; community use; health and safety; leisure; self-care; social skills; self-direction; functional academics; work.
Individuals must have the ability to participate in training within a work setting without the assistance of a full-time job coach.
Individuals must be at least 18 years of age at the program start date.
Individuals can enter TVP directly upon completion of high school. They are not required to be out of high school for one year (12 months) to be eligible.
Assets are not used to determine financial eligibility.
To be eligible for TVP, an individual must meet all other requirements listed under Eligible Individuals – General.
Methods of Delivery
Transitional Vocational Programs (TVP) may be delivered to Government of Alberta learners by classroom or synchronous e-learning delivery
Program Components
Transitional Vocational Program is designed to integrate theoretical and practical learning and has two components:
- Classroom or synchronous e-learning which may include training in employability skills, transferable occupational skills (such as keyboarding/computer skills, use of tools and equipment, safety, etc.), job search and retention skills and independent living/life skills, and
- Work experience which is designed to give the TVP individual employment experience that is consistent with his/her interests and abilities and his/her long-range career goals. Work experience in a competitive worksite is desired rather than in a sheltered work or school environment.
Usually, learners do not receive pay for work they do in a work experience placement. However, in rare circumstances, learners in TVP may receive reimbursement from their work-experience employers.
For a work experience placement that is part of a learner’s TVP:
- employers may pay an hourly wage and/or training allowance to the learner
- employers do not receive any compensation for providing work experience opportunities for learners.
Outcomes
The expected outcome for TVP is employment. Specifically, the Government of Alberta defines success as having 60% of TVP individuals employed full-time or part-time within 180 days (six months) of completion of the program and 5% of TVP individuals in further training within six months (180 days) of the completion of the program.
Duration/Enrollment
Transitional Vocational Program must be provided on a full-time basis up to a maximum of 52-weeks (one academic year). Full-time is defined as not less than 25 hours of instruction/work experience per week.
Programs are limited to an academic year of a maximum of twelve months.
Procurement Method
The Transitional Vocational Program is provided through tuition-based training.
PROCEDURE
Financial assistance in the form of income support and training benefits may be available to eligible individuals attending full-time approved training programs.
Individuals receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) benefits will continue to receive these benefits while they are attending TVP. Individuals who receive AISH benefits as income support while attending TVP must be entered in Mobius. If a learner in TVP is approved for AISH benefits during training, the Service Manager must notify the Learner Income Support Office immediately to minimize the amount of overpayment. The individual then needs to choose whether to continue to receive Income Support as a Learner or to receive Income Support from AISH.
