A vocational assessment is the most important process available for assembling the information needed for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities to make well-grounded career decisions.

Components of Vocational Assessment

There are many ways of obtaining vocational assessment information. Some of these ways, which are described more fully below, are:

  • situational assessments
  • interest inventories
  • temperament inventories
  • learning styles inventories
  • on-the-job try-outs
  • curriculum-based vocational assessments
  • work samples
  • observations
  • functional assessments
  • aptitude tests/screenings
  • achievement tests

Puna Kamali’i Supported Employment selects different means of collecting information about individuals based on their resources, needs, and philosophy.

Levels

Vocational assessment services divide into different levels of service. The levels are described briefly here as categories of services.

Typically, Level One consists of a screening to determine functional skills and “where the individual is” regarding vocational planning. Information is collected via such methods as interviewing, reviewing records, or interest inventories for screening.

Level Two occurs if the individual needs more information to develop his or her vocational profile and to clarify vocational planning. Often this Level is called “clinical” or “exploratory” as standardized instruments or career exploration activities may be used.

Level Three is a more comprehensive assessment during which data are usually collected during a specified period of time. Data collection is often coordinated or conducted by a professional vocational evaluator/assessment specialist. Informal assessment (interviews, samples of classwork, situational assessments, on-the-job try-outs) and formal assessment (work samples, standardized instruments and tests) are used in each of the three levels of service. The use of formal methods is more prevalent in Level Three, which is often called a comprehensive assessment or vocational evaluation. This does not mean that only formal methods are used at this level; observations, shop or job try-outs, interviewing, etc. also play a key role in the appraisal process.

Maximum benefit can be realized if an array or continuum of vocational assessment approaches and opportunities are available to participants. Because the needs of individuals with disabilities are so diverse, a variety of approaches is necessary depending upon their specific needs, age, and stage of personal and career development. It is essential that information about certain attributes of each individual be gathered. Regardless of the approach used to gather information, the following components should be included in the vocational assessment. These components represent the essential attributes of the individual that make up his or her vocational profile or identity. It is also important to remember that a student’s self-concept is critical to his or her educational and vocational functioning. Vocational assessment should help clarify a participant’s self-concept and be included within any component of a vocational assessment.

1. Interests. What are the participant’s occupational or vocational preferences? Remember that these may be preferences that express, demonstrate, or are identified with an interest survey or inventory. When receiving interpretations of interest inventories, making sure that the tests are truly representative of a wide range of occupations, rather than being limited to one category or a few occupations. It is also important that the people who administer and interpret interest inventories represent them as occupational likes and dislikes, rather than as a measure of skills (or aptitudes) to actually do any specific occupation. Results of tests should always be verified by identifying an individual’s expressed or demonstrated interests.

2. Aptitudes (abilities and capabilities). Aptitude can refer both to the ability to do and to learn certain types of skills, such as mechanical, spatial, numerical, and clerical. Many tests exist to measure aptitude for performing in any one of these skill areas. Often, the best measure is to have the individual try different tasks which require specific aptitudes or occupational duties.

3. Temperaments (Worker Style Preferences). Worker style is reflected in how people behave and in the emotional responses and choices they make. Preferring to work with people, things, or data, and the way that people  organize and make decisions are aspects of worker style preference. Information about preferences can be gathered through observation by teachers and parents, as well as through discussion with the participant or through temperament inventories.

4. Learning preferences and styles. This reflects how a person prefers to receive and process information and experiences. How do you best retain and use input — auditorily, visually, or through hands-on exposure? Does he or she have any preferences for interaction or times for learning? This type of information can be gathered through inventories of learning style, as well as through observation and discussion.

5. Developmental background (background information). This information does not represent a comprehensive case history; rather, it should include only the information that impacts the individual’s performances and prognoses specifically related to vocational development. What special needs does the individual have, given his or her disability?

6. Worker characteristics. These include participant’s traits, attitudes, values, employability skills, and work related behaviors such as work habits and social skills. Positive worker characteristics are vital to successful employment and are most frequently cited as reasons for either promotions or dismissals by employers. Information about worker characteristics can be collected via inventories, observations at real or simulated work (often called situational assessments), instructor impressions, and the use of checklists that detail important worker skills (e.g., punctuality, safety awareness, etc.).

7. Vocational/occupational skills. These skills refer to specific technical, industrial, or other types of skills that are required in actual jobs. In order to know if the participant has the technical skills necessary to do a specific job, a training or job analysis must be done and compared to his or her skills. The best indicators of skills are through observations of the individual actually trying parts of the job or occupational area. For many vocational jobs, checklists of the necessary skills already exist.

8. Functional/Life skills. This category refers to those skills that an individual needs in order to address personal and independent living problems that people with disabilities often encounter after leaving school. Some of these skills are: use of transportation, ability to handle financial and housing management, decision-making, and social skills. If participant is not at a point in the educational process where exiting school and living and working in the community are concerns, this type of assessment may not be needed. However, for those individuals who are nearing this transition, functional assessment should be a part of the assessment process.

Vocational Assessment: Purposes and Benefits

Attaining meaningful employment is too important to be left to chance. Careful planning and educational programming are essential to achieving this goal and must begin with gathering information. Vocational assessment is the most important process available for assembling the information needed for the participant to make well-grounded career decisions.

Vocational assessment is a systematic, ongoing process designed to help individuals and their parents understand a person’s vocational preferences and potential. Ideally, it should occur before a participant is placed in a specific program, but it can also take place at the time the individual enters the program. For the participant planning his or her transition, the assessment process may include observations, anecdotal information, on-the-job-try-outs, classroom performance examples, tests, and work samples. It provides information on the participant’s:

  • career development background (e.g., awareness)
  • interests
  • aptitudes
  • special needs
  • learning style(s)
  • work habits and behaviors
  • personal and social skills
  • values and attitudes towards work
  • self-concept
  • work tolerances

 

Call our office today at (808) 982-8322 for information on how to sign up.

Puna Kamali’i Flowers, Inc.
16-211 Kalara St.
Kea’au, HI 96749-8005

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