MRS customer receives training to help prepare for future career

Eliza is a student at the Post-Secondary Program at Midland County Educational Service Agency (ESA) and has been enrolled in Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) for several years. The Post-Secondary Program allows for students to attend their transition program up until 26 years of age.

With support from her Pre-ETS enrollment, Eliza has had the opportunity to participate in summer work programs for the past several summers. Summer work experiences allow students to receive real world work experience without the threat of being fired for making mistakes and allows for growth and opportunity. 

Through the progression of these summer work experiences, Eliza has found a calling in administrative work, having had the opportunity to work at several different sites learning different areas of administrative duties.

“Eliza has been able to not only gain transitional skills that will help her in real life, but the summer work program has allowed her to gain real world skills in true work environments that will allow Eliza to progress and move forward in life,” shared Eliza’s teacher.

Eliza has exceptional organization skills and has progressed over the past summers in her ability to work somewhat independently on tasks, after an initial training of the assigned tasks. This summer, Eliza was placed with the Midland County ESA. This new partnership is made possible by the growth Eliza has displayed in her abilities and willingness to not only to commit herself to her assigned tasks, but also complete them in a timely and organized manner.

Eliza worked directly with the administrative team at the Midland County ESA. She has shown that she is able to make a cohesive transition to working in a setting where multiple adults may be assigning tasks.

The Pre-ETS program is designed to assist students in secondary education with disabilities to prepare for their vocational journey after high school. The program is built on five pillars: job exploration, workplace readiness, self-advocacy, post-secondary education, and work-based learning. Pre-ETS works in partnership with students to help identify, clarify and move toward each student’s goal.