Career Development – The Arc LA OC

Career Development Program

Our Success Stories

Jose G. Has been employed at TLD Law in Long Beach for 27 years. He was recently honored with a bronze plaque. Jose orders supplies for the company and takes care of incoming and outgoing mail.
Aaron B. has been employed at Stater Bros. in Long Beach for 28 years. He is a certified butcher.
Salvador M. has been employed at CVS for over 20 years as a salesfloor associate. Sal has overcome several challenges at CVS; despite these obstacles, Sal has shown what a dedicated and committed employee looks like.
James D. has been employed at Albertsons as a courtesy clerk for 16 years.

About The Career Development Program

The Career Development Program (CDev) is a career-minded syllabus of activities designed to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to set and meet their own self-determined employment goals based on their interests and passions. The Arc LAOC supports participants in workplace settings and in the community with an eye toward maximizing their independence and self-sufficiency.

The Building Blocks

The Career Development Program supports participants with résumé writing, interview skills, transportation training, job searching, communication, and social skills for career advancement using the following approach:

Staff and participants collaborate to identify employment goals specific to each individual.
Participants hone a variety of practices such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, attention span, and quality of workmanship.
Participants engage in activities that foster vocational development and educational skills relevant to the workplace.
Career Development staff provides supportive counseling and employment plans.
Staff and participants explore various employment fields.
With CDev staff support, participants search and apply for job openings and interview for positions aligned with their skills, interests, and career goals..

Exploring and Providing Opportunities

Career Development readies individuals with IDD for gainful and rewarding employment in the community where they might otherwise lack work opportunities. Participants learn and develop important skills as they volunteer in a variety of environments such as offices, warehouses, stores, churches, salons, etc., and learn how to package and sort, take inventory, provide customer service, greet customers, handle cash, move/organize equipment or goods, make sales, file, and so much more. The culmination of a participant’s tenure in the program occurs when a participant secures a job and transitions to the Supported Employment program, where participants are paired with Job Coaches for support in the workplace. Participants accomplish this in real job environments by familiarizing themselves with and adjusting to the atmosphere and demands of regular employment. Check out the article on resumegenuis.com about our employment programs and the unique job-search challenges that face the IDD community. For more information about the Career Development Program, please contact Margoritt Aquije at 562-855-3467 or maquije@thearclaoc.org.