Occupational Skills Program

Ridgewater College

Occupational Skills Program
2101 15th Avenue NW
Willmar, MN 56201

Program Contact	Mary Benson
Email	mary.benson@ridgewater.edu
Phone	320-222-8041
Website	https://ridgewater.edu/academics/areas-of-study/occupational-skills/

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The Occupational Skills program is a post-secondary vocational program for students with intellectual disabilities that provides training for entry-level, competitive employment. Occupational Skills combines community-based vocational training with personal management classes on campus.

General
Public or private:	Public
Type of school:	2-year community college or junior college
Is this program a federally funded TPSID program?	No
Students in this program:	Have graduated or exited from high school
Number of students:	22

Requirements
Requirements for admission to this program:	Other diploma (e.g., IEP diploma, certificate of attendance)
Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have:	Intellectual disability Autism
Program length:	1 year

Acceptance, Retention, and Completion Rates
Percent of students applying who are admitted:	100%
Retention rate:	87%

Cost
Is this program able to provide federal financial aid as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)?	Yes
Students pay for the program in the following ways:	Private pay (student and family) Vocational Rehabilitation Funds Scholarships Grant Funding

Academic
Students take these types of "typical" courses (with students who don't have disabilities):	Typical college courses for credit
Students take courses that are only for students in this program:	Yes
Information on special classes:	Internships Job Keeping Skills Job Seeking Skills Career Assessment and Planning Consumer Skills Community and Leisure Resources Transition to Independent Living Internship Seminar
Time spent only with other students in this program:	About 75% of the time
Credential(s) students earn upon completing the program:	Occupational Skills Diploma
The credential(s) is/are:	Approved by Institute of Higher Education

Employment
Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program:	50%
Other career development activities are:	Internships Volunteer work Community Service Work Study
Percent of students in this program that had paid work after exiting the program:	90%

Housing
Housing is provided to students:	No

Extracurricular
Students participate in student organizations on campus:	Yes
Proportion of time spent only with other students in this program:	75%

Last updated: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - 13:34