Transition & Employment
As they begin their transition from youth to adulthood, visually impaired young people need the skills and experience to be job-ready. The LightHouse provides assistance to help make this transition a successful one by providing these necessary tools to be competitive in the job market.
Transition Enrichment
Each academic semester, the Transition and Employment Services Program provides occupational exploration through lectures and hands-on activities. These workshops address resume writing techniques, interview skills, work success, and overall vocational development.
To build practical work experience, the Transition and Employment Services Program assists participants in obtaining internships and volunteer opportunities. For many, this is their first experience in employment. We provide stipend and non-stipend assignments in office support, administrative, customer support and other professional entry positions.
Semester-Based Work Adjustment Training Program
The LightHouse offers blind and visually impaired transition age youth and young adults opportunities to learn and work at the LightHouse as support staff in various professional environments such as clerical, administrative, and retail positions. A commitment of a minimum of six hours per week for 16 weeks is expected. Applicants must possess basic skills in math, reading, writing, and computer/adaptive technology, and sufficient Orientation and Mobility skills.
Summer Opportunities
The SF Business Enterprises Program–Youth Employment Program ( SF BEPYEP) is a youth employment enrichment program that aims to provide summer work experiences to blind and visually impaired youth and young adults. Because youth with vision loss often face a variety of barriers in securing first chance employment, including finding a supportive employer who is willing to provide an accessible work environment, SF BEPYEP is an important step in challenging these barriers at an early age and gaining valuable skills that lend themselves to future career development.
The program allows participants to work five hours per day, Monday through Thursday at a BEP-YEP employment partner site. On Friday, participants engage in peer support activities, career exploration workshops and other activities that strengthen their employability. It is expected that participants in the program will gain experience, build confidence and learn how to successfully advocate for themselves so that they can complete their education, go on to higher education or vocational training and ultimately build fulfilling sustained careers.
BEP-YEP relies on partners like the LightHouse, schools for the blind and other rehabilitation specialists, BEP staff and BEP vendors to provide these training opportunities.
Summits and Workshops
Each year, the LightHouse host a weekend long retreat at the Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa for transition age young adults aimed to engage them in transition enriching activities in a camp environment. At the summit, students experience hands-on activities such as resume writing techniques, practice interviews, team and leadership building exercises, as well as an array of professional and motivational speakers. This year’s theme is health and wellness in correlation to employment success. Participants will also get a chance to meet new people, socialize with peers and form a sense of community around a campfire, just to name a few.
The 2009 Transition Summit: Work, Wellness and Success sponsored by California Department of Rehabilitation, Society for the Blind, California School for the Blind, and LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, focused on wellness and employment success. Our mission is to provide blind and visually impaired youth and young adults ages 16 to 21 with the knowledge and skills needed to gain viable access to employment and higher education.
