What are Pre-Employment Transition Services?
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) are federally required transition services that help students with disabilities prepare for life after high school by exploring careers, developing workplace skills, and gaining early work-related experiences. Established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Pre-ETS are provided by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies to support informed career choices, readiness for employment, and successful post-secondary outcomes.
Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Pre-Employment Transition Services are a federal requirement, not an optional program. Enacted in 2014, WIOA amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to strengthen early transition services for students with disabilities and ensure consistent access nationwide. The law requires state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies to reserve at least 15 percent of their federal VR funding specifically for Pre-ETS and to make these services available to students who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services, even before they apply for full VR case services. This requirement reflects a national shift toward early career exploration, skill development, and proactive workforce preparation to improve post-school employment and post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to modernize federal disability employment policy and strengthen the transition from school to work for students with disabilities. Through these amendments, WIOA expanded the role of state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies beyond traditional case-based services and formally established Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) as a required early intervention. The changes emphasized serving students earlier, including those who are only potentially eligible for VR, and shifted the focus toward career exploration, work-based learning, and skill development before students exit secondary education. By embedding these requirements into the Rehabilitation Act, WIOA created a clear legal framework that prioritizes proactive workforce preparation and improved post-secondary employment outcomes for students with disabilities.
Who Pre-ETS is Designed to Serve
For students with disabilities, the transition out of high school marks an important step toward independence, employment, and adult life. Pre-Employment Transition Services provide structured opportunities to explore career interests, build essential workplace skills, and gain early exposure to real-world expectations. Through guided activities and hands-on learning, students develop confidence, understand their strengths and support needs, and begin making informed decisions about employment, training, or post-secondary education.
Young adults who are navigating career choices or considering additional education benefit from Pre-ETS by gaining clarity and direction. These services support career exploration, skill-building, and an understanding of the training or credentials required for specific occupations. By connecting interests to realistic pathways, participants are better prepared to pursue employment, apprenticeships, technical training, or college programs that align with their goals and abilities.
Educators, transition specialists, and IEP teams play a critical role in preparing students for life beyond the classroom. Pre-ETS complements transition planning by reinforcing measurable skill development, career awareness, and work readiness aligned with post-secondary goals. These services support compliance with transition requirements while providing practical tools, structured activities, and documented outcomes that help teams demonstrate meaningful progress toward employment and adult independence.
Employers, community organizations, and workforce partners are essential to building strong pathways from education to employment. Pre-ETS creates opportunities for collaboration by aligning skill development with real labor market expectations and workplace needs. Partner organizations benefit from engaging with participants who are developing foundational skills, exploring career interests, and preparing to enter the workforce with greater confidence, awareness, and readiness.
Purpose and Impact of Pre-ETS
The transition from school to adulthood can feel uncertain, especially for students and young adults with disabilities. Pre-Employment Transition Services are designed to support this critical period by helping participants move forward with confidence, purpose, and direction. Rather than waiting until after graduation, Pre-ETS focuses on early preparation, allowing individuals to develop skills, explore options, and make informed decisions about their next steps.
A key component of Pre-ETS is helping participants explore a wide range of career paths based on their interests, strengths, and goals. Through guided activities and real-world examples, students gain exposure to different industries and job roles, helping them better understand what various careers involve. This exploration empowers participants to narrow their interests and begin envisioning a future that aligns with their abilities and aspirations.
Pre-ETS also helps participants identify the training, education, and skills required for specific jobs or career pathways. By learning what employers expect and what credentials or experience may be needed, participants can make more intentional choices about post-secondary education, vocational training, or on-the-job learning opportunities. This clarity reduces uncertainty and supports more realistic and achievable career planning.
Understanding workplace expectations is essential for long-term success. Pre-ETS introduces participants to common workplace norms such as communication, professionalism, time management, and problem-solving. By practicing these skills before entering employment or post-secondary training, participants build readiness, confidence, and self-awareness—helping ensure smoother transitions and stronger outcomes as they move into adult roles.
Core Areas Covered
Effective communication is foundational to success in any workplace. Pre-Employment Transition Services help participants develop verbal, written, and nonverbal communication skills needed to interact with supervisors, coworkers, and customers. Through structured activities and real-world scenarios, students practice expressing ideas clearly, asking for help, receiving feedback, and working collaboratively with others. These skills support confidence, self-advocacy, and positive workplace relationships.
Workplaces regularly require employees to think independently, adapt to change, and solve problems. Pre-ETS supports the development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by encouraging participants to analyze situations, consider multiple solutions, and make informed decisions. By working through realistic challenges, students learn how to approach obstacles thoughtfully, manage uncertainty, and apply reasoning skills that transfer across jobs and industries.
Digital literacy is essential in today’s workforce. Pre-ETS introduces participants to the technology commonly used in modern workplaces, including computers, mobile devices, software tools, and online systems. Participants learn how to use technology responsibly, communicate digitally, manage information, and adapt to new tools as technology evolves. These skills prepare students for both employment and post-secondary education environments.
Success at work involves more than technical skills—it requires understanding workplace culture and expectations. Pre-ETS helps participants learn about professionalism, time management, workplace etiquette, and employer expectations related to attendance, teamwork, and accountability. By gaining insight into how workplaces function and what is expected of employees, participants are better prepared to navigate employment settings with confidence and independence.
How the Training is Structured
Pre-Employment Transition Services are delivered through structured, goal-oriented lessons designed to provide clarity and consistency. Ideal activities should be measurable, allowing participants and educators to track progress and identify skill development over time. This structured approach ensures that every participant gains practical knowledge and experience, while also providing clear documentation of accomplishments for students, families, and VR partners.
Recognizing that every learner is unique, Pre-ETS lessons are designed to support a variety of learning styles, abilities, and interests. Instruction incorporates visual, auditory, and hands-on activities, allowing students to engage with content in ways that make sense to them. By addressing diverse learning needs, Pre-ETS ensures that all participants have the opportunity to develop meaningful skills and succeed in preparation for life after high school.
Accessibility is a cornerstone of Pre-ETS. Lessons and activities are developed with built-in accommodations to remove barriers and ensure equitable participation for students with disabilities. Whether it’s assistive technology, modified materials, or flexible pacing, Pre-ETS provides the supports necessary for every participant to engage fully, learn effectively, and demonstrate competence.
Pre-ETS emphasizes skills and knowledge that reflect what employers actually require in the workplace. Activities are designed to replicate real-world scenarios, giving participants the opportunity to practice workplace behaviors, problem-solving, communication, and digital skills in context. By aligning outcomes with employer expectations, Pre-ETS helps students enter employment or post-secondary training with confidence, competence, and a clear understanding of what success looks like on the job.
Learning through Real-World Experience
Pre-Employment Transition Services provide students with opportunities to engage in authentic workplace scenarios that mirror real job environments. By simulating tasks, interactions, and challenges that occur on the job, participants gain practical insight into workplace expectations. These experiences allow students to explore career roles in context, understand workplace dynamics, and develop problem-solving strategies that translate directly to future employment.
Learning in Pre-ETS goes beyond traditional classroom instruction. Students participate in hands-on activities that reinforce concepts through practical application. Whether through role-playing, projects, or work-based exercises, participants actively practice essential skills, strengthening understanding and retention. This applied learning approach ensures that students not only know what to do but can perform tasks confidently in real-world situations.
Pre-ETS emphasizes practicing skills where they matter most—within the context of meaningful tasks and scenarios. By applying communication, critical thinking, digital literacy, and workplace etiquette in settings that resemble actual job situations, students build competence in a realistic and relevant environment. This approach bridges the gap between theory and practice, preparing participants to perform effectively when they enter employment or post-secondary programs.
A core goal of Pre-ETS is to foster confidence, independence, and competence in every participant. Through repeated exposure to realistic tasks and supportive guidance, students gain self-assurance in their abilities, learn to advocate for themselves, and develop the independence needed to navigate workplaces successfully. By focusing on both skills and mindset, Pre-ETS empowers participants to approach post-school life with readiness, resilience, and a clear sense of their potential.
Progress, Outcomes, and Accountability
Pre-Employment Transition Services emphasize hands-on, observable learning. Students engage in projects and activities that allow them to demonstrate their skills in concrete ways, rather than simply completing worksheets or assignments. Demonstrations of skill development should provide educators, VR counselors, and employers clear evidence of what participants can do, making progress tangible and meaningful. By showcasing abilities through real tasks, students build both competence and confidence in their capabilities.
Pre-ETS prioritizes outcomes over mere attendance or task completion and recognizes that the best measurement of skills mastery is the demonstration of application of those skills in authentic contexts. Rather than tracking only what students have completed, the goal is to focus on measurable growth, ensuring that each participant gains the knowledge, behaviors, and experience necessary to succeed in employment or post-secondary training. This outcome-driven approach can help students, educators, and VR partners see the real impact of the program on transition readiness.
Entrepreneurship and Extended Learning
Pre-Employment Transition Services provide participants with access to a wide range of resources designed to extend learning beyond structured lessons. These materials include guides, reference tools, and instructional supports that help students deepen their understanding of workplace skills, career pathways, and personal development. By offering supplementary resources, Pre-ETS encourages independent exploration and self-directed growth, helping students take ownership of their transition journey.
A special focus of this site is introducing students to entrepreneurship and self-employment as viable career pathways. Through targeted lessons and activities, participants learn the basics of starting and managing a business, developing ideas, and thinking creatively about income opportunities. This exposure allows students to explore alternative career paths, understand the responsibilities of running a business, and gain insight into the skills and mindset needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Pre-ETS emphasizes cultivating independence, creativity, and problem-solving through practical tools and exercises. Participants are encouraged to apply what they learn to real-world scenarios, experiment with innovative solutions, and make decisions that reflect critical thinking. These tools support skill development that extends beyond a single job, equipping students with the mindset and abilities needed to navigate complex workplaces, generate new ideas, and pursue opportunities with confidence and self-reliance.
Program Goals
Pre-Employment Transition Services are designed to foster curiosity, self-confidence, and personal growth. By providing opportunities to explore different careers, work environments, and skill-building activities, students can discover their interests and strengths in a supportive setting. Pre-ETS encourages independence by giving participants ownership over their learning, helping them make informed choices, and empowering them to take proactive steps toward their future.
The skills developed through Pre-ETS are not limited to one role or industry—they are transferable across careers and life situations. Participants gain practical abilities in communication, problem-solving, digital literacy, and workplace navigation that can be applied in a variety of employment and post-secondary settings. By focusing on versatile, real-world skills, Pre-ETS ensures that students are prepared to adapt, grow, and succeed no matter what opportunities they pursue.
The ultimate goal of Pre-ETS is to equip students with the tools and mindset needed for lifelong success. By combining skill development, practical experience, and access to resources, the program helps participants transition smoothly from school to employment or further education. Beyond immediate career readiness, Pre-ETS fosters resilience, independence, and confidence—qualities that support meaningful achievement in all areas of life, from education and work to personal growth and community participation.
Learn how you can prepare yourself for the transition to independent living and employment with the sections on Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) Categories below.
Next Steps
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- Accordion section: Federal Law & Compliance
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Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) Categories
External Links
- A Guide to Pre-Employment Transition Services in Tennessee
- NTACT: National Technical Assistance Center on Transition The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) is a Technical Assistance Center co-funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
- Pathways to the Future: Teacher Toolbox
- Pre-ETS Sequencing Guide
- State of Tennessee: Transition Services The Tennessee Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services has a strong history of working collaboratively with local education agencies (LEA) to provide transition services to students in secondary school.
- Transition Services Planner – A Guide for Students, Parents and Educators in Arranging Rehabilitation Services for Students with Disabilities
- Transition TN The mission of TransitionTN is to ensure that students with disabilities have access to opportunities, instruction, supports, and services to elevate their in-school and post-school outcomes.
- College Navigator Find enrollment numbers, programs offered, and other information for the more than 7,000 colleges and universities across the nation.
- Pathways to the Future: Education Planning
- Pathways to the Future: Virtual College Tours
- U. S. Department of Education: College Scorecard
