ENCINITAS: Program helps special-needs students find jobs

Local businesses offer on-the-job training

By STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer | Tuesday, January 6, 2009 7:07 PM PST ∞

ENCINITAS ---- A state work-experience program has helped more than 1,000 special-needs students in the San Dieguito Union High School District get and keep jobs, according to local businesses, students and educators.

The program, known as WorkAbility, gives school districts grant money to help students between the ages of 12 and 22 learn important life and employment skills.

Students in the program range in disabilities from mild learning disorders to severe developmental disorders. In addition to the San Dieguito district, the program is used in North County in the Carlsbad and San Marcos school districts.

Middle-school students involved in WorkAbility take classes that are mostly aimed at introducing them to careers and preparing them for work or college, said Kristine Svarcas, a job placement assistant for the San Dieguito district.

At the high school level, the classes are more about the specifics of finding and keeping a job, including how to interview and how to budget money once you get a paycheck.

The program "provides students who might not otherwise have an opportunity with an opportunity to prepare for the work force," Svarcas said.

Some of the older students are able to get part-time work through the program, which pays their salary while they work at local businesses.

Three students at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas recently got temporary jobs preparing and collecting meal trays at nearby Scripps Memorial Hospital. They did so well that supervisors encouraged them to apply for regular jobs on the hospital's payroll after that their work through the program ended.

"They come with an excitement and zealousness for work that we really don't see in a lot of workers," said Jason Cook, the hospital's senior director of business development. "They're just dedicated loyal employees."

Greg Ory, one of the students, said the WorkAbility program taught him plenty, including the importance of teamwork.

"It was a great experience," he said.

It also helps boost confidence and self-worth in many of the students, which can lead to better grades in school, said Joe Arnold, a special education teacher at San Dieguito Academy.

"To be valued can really light a fire for some," Arnold said.

Scripps is just one of several local employers that has brought more than 100 local students under their wing. Others include La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, West Inn and Suites in Carlsbad and TJ Maxx in Encinitas.

Having the students around twice a week has been a boost of morale for workers at the La Costa Resort, said Debbie Batchie, the employment manager there.

"It's almost infectious, how eager they are," she said. "They feel really a part of the team."

The resort has brought in five students for a variety of jobs, including helping with housekeeping and in the kitchen.

The San Dieguito district has one of the area's most successful WorkAbility programs, which operates through a $242,000 grant from the state.

Daniel Bilotta, a senior at San Dieguito Academy who worked at Scripps Encinitas, said the classes have helped him save money. He now makes sure to put half of each paycheck in the bank right away.

"It kind of gave us a nudge in the right direction," he said.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.