Planning for life after high school can feel exciting, overwhelming, and uncertain all at once. Students may be thinking about work, training, college, transportation, or learning how to live more independently. Families may be asking what support is available and when the process should begin. In Tennessee, one important resource for that journey is Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) through the Tennessee Department of Human Services, along with its Pre-Employment Transition Services, often called Pre-ETS.
Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation helps Tennesseans with disabilities prepare for employment, find jobs, and grow in their career fields. For students, that support can begin long before graduation. In fact, transition planning in Tennessee begins no later than age 14, giving students and families time to think ahead and begin building a path toward adult life.
What Is Pre-ETS?
Pre-Employment Transition Services are designed specifically for students with disabilities who are preparing for life after high school. These services help students explore work and future options while they are still in school, so they are not trying to figure everything out at the last minute.
In Tennessee, Pre-ETS serves students with disabilities ages 14 through 21 who are in secondary school, postsecondary education, or another recognized education program and who receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or have a disability under Section 504.
What Can Students Receive?
Pre-ETS focuses on five key areas that help students prepare for the future:
- Job exploration counseling to help students think about careers and work options
- Work-based learning experiences to build exposure to real work settings
- Postsecondary counseling for education and training after high school
- Workplace readiness training to strengthen skills needed for employment
- Self-advocacy instruction so students can speak up, make informed choices, and better understand their own needs and goals
These are practical services that can help students move from simply talking about the future to actively preparing for it.
Support Beyond One Meeting
Vocational Rehabilitation is not just a single referral or one conversation. Students who connect with VR can receive broader support based on their individual goals and needs. Tennessee’s VR program works with each participant to develop an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that reflects the person’s strengths, interests, abilities, resources, and informed choices.
Depending on the student and the goal, services may include counseling and guidance, postsecondary or workplace training, assistive technology, transportation support, independent living skill development, resume help, interview preparation, job coaching, and other employment-related supports. The goal is to help each person prepare for and succeed in competitive employment.
Why This Matters for Families
One of the most helpful parts of VR and Pre-ETS is that they give families a clearer starting point. Many families know their child has goals for the future but are unsure how employment planning, training, and adult services fit together. Pre-ETS helps break that larger picture into smaller, more understandable steps.
It also supports something we have highlighted throughout this newsletter: students should be part of the conversation. Services such as self-advocacy training, workplace readiness, and career exploration help young people better understand themselves, speak up about what they want, and take an active role in planning for adulthood.
A Good Next Step
Families do not have to wait until senior year to begin. If a student is 14 or older, now is a good time to ask questions and learn more. Consider speaking with your school team, transition coordinator, or counselor about whether a referral to Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation or Pre-ETS makes sense.
Starting early can give students more time to explore options, practice skills, and build confidence before graduation arrives. And when students have the opportunity to prepare, participate, and plan with support, the road ahead can feel much more possible.
RESOURCE
Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
A statewide resource through the Tennessee Department of Human Services that helps students and adults with disabilities prepare for employment, explore career options, and strengthen transition planning for life after high school.