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
Classroom/academic 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:	Between half and 75% of the time

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