Cape Breton Works

Cape Breton Works: An Innovative and Collaborative Partnership among CBVRSB, Autism Nova Scotia, Island Career Academy and Community Based Employers

Cape Breton Works is a pre-vocational program based on Autism Nova Scotia’s (Halifax) TRAACE program (Transition Readiness & Autism Community Employment). Autism Nova Scotia developed this pre-vocational workshop program to assist high school students in gaining valuable skills and career exploration opportunities earlier in life, before they transition out of the school system. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the independence and confidence of young adults on the autism spectrum and allow them to be better able to seek out, attain and retain employment and/or transition to a relevant post-secondary environment.

The Cape Breton Works program has 7 skill building modules based upon current research and best practices. An additional module (module 8) has been developed by the CBVRSB team to include additional workplace readiness skills that are part of our Board’s policy and procedure. The program modules are designed to help build skills and promote independence for the individual’s eventual path to employment and are designed in a sequential order to correspond with the natural progression that takes place as someone begins to look at employment options. The 8 program modules are:

• Career Cruising

• Job Searching/Resources

• Resume & Cover Letter writing

• Interview Skills

• Managing Anxiety

• Sensory Sensitivities

• Successful Socialization

• Getting Ready for the Workplace

All modules are completed within the school day. Following completion of the modules, students are placed in a four week job placement (4 hours per week/during school hours) within the community. The job placement will allow students to get firsthand experience of what it is like to work in a business as well as allow students to get a better idea of what types of jobs they want. All students will have a trained transition support person (Island Career Academy students) on site to help problem solve and ease the student’s transition into the process. Students, transition support persons and employers have ongoing support/collaboration from members of the CBVRSB’s Cape Breton Works team.

For more information on Autism Nova Scotia's TRAACE program, please visit:

http://www.autismnovascotia.ca/program/11