EmployU

EmployU is a three (3) week program. It operates July 10th-July 28th from 10 AM to 1 PM Monday-Friday (5 days a week). It operates at our office in Point Breeze.

We serve ages 16-22 year olds.

The curriculum is practical, hands-on, individualized, and fun! We will DO a lot. EmployU is all about doing, not discussion/lectures

  • Employ U was created to meet a large gap in support/services in the Pittsburgh area with regard to both work readiness and Extended School Year options. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, only 36% percent of individuals living with a disability were employed in 2022.

    While OVR has been working on an initiative to get youth with disabilities better connected with employment opportunities for the past few years, there are still very limited programming options for concretely walking young adults through the employment process. Additionally, many programs are a one-size-fits-all model that may not work well for young people who walk the line between appearing “typical” but also have social and emotional difficulties.

    There are many nuances and unspoken rules to becoming an adult in our society. Employ U breaks down these unspoken rules and details and teaches youth everything they need to know connected to the employment process. Then, after the learning takes place we incorporate real-life application of skills with a volunteer/work experience as part of the final week of the program.

    This is why we created EmployU. Because sometimes all the things you’re “supposed to know” like finding your first job, learning to drive, and learning how to live on your own need to be practiced. Discussion is not enough. Learning happens through doing.

What EU Looks Like

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Learning where to find jobs Learning all of the ins and outs of resumes Learning how to navigate all of the nuances in the interview process such as what to wear, where to go, how to get there, etc.
Learning how to decipher 'real' jobs from scams Creating individualized resume and cover letter template for use outside of EU How to ensure that you will have reliable transportation to get to your interview
Navigating the job application process Learning about credit card pitfalls and positives Knowing what personal information is helpful to share in an interview vs what is not
Learn all of the ins and outs of obtaining a driver's permit and the licensing process Learning what it means to "build credit" The next steps after an interview
Every Friday we go out! Participants will learn how to use public transportation in real time. We will take a college tour, tour the DMV, etc.
We will have adult neurodiverse speakers who will visit and speak about their employment experiences!

    • A high school student who has an IEP or 504 and needs socialization and structure during the summer

    • Anyone in high school who wants to obtain volunteer work or a part-time job

    • Anyone in post-secondary training who wants to obtain work

    • Anyone who may struggle to navigate the employment process due to organizational difficulties or social nuances

    • A high school student who attends a private school and needs socialization and structure during the summer

    • Anyone who went to post-secondary education and needs support and practice to secure employment

    • Anyone who is 16-22 who feels stuck or unsure regarding “adulting”

    • April Artz, LPC who facilitates the program, has been working with neurodiverse youth and adults for over 20 years

    • Employ U can serve as an ESY (Extended School Year) placement for students

Costs & Contact

    • $325 per week=$975 for the entire 3-week program

    • 1 hour each day can be billed to insurance (Cigna, Highmark, Aetna, UPMC commercial and Medical Assistance accepted) In order to bill your insurance, your child must have a diagnosis

    • Insurance typically reimburses at $30-40 for 1 hour of group therapy. This means if you are able to use your insurance you may end up only paying $125/week!

    • All new participants will be charged a one-time screening fee ($75)

  • (1) Email April at connectioncounselinginc@gmail.com

    (2) We will email you some questions to begin the process

    (3) Email us back with answers to the questions

    (4) If it seems that your child can benefit from the program we will then schedule an initial phone call

    (5) After the phone call takes place we can then schedule their in-person screening and they can register for the program (before or after the screening-depending on your preference)

EmployU as ESY

If you are a school point person or a parent you may be wondering, what kind of data will I receive for a student who attends Employ U?

  • Each participant will select goals to work on during their participation in Employ U
  • IEP goals which relate to organization, participation, executive functioning, transition, communication, life skills, etc will all be applicable and can be incorporated into their EmployU goals
  • Participants will rate themselves on goal progress daily
  • The Employ U facilitators will also rate the participants on goal progress weekly
  • Participants will take a pretest at the start of each week on the information that will be covered in the curriculum. They will then take a post-test at the end of the week to quantitatively assess what they have learned
  • Participants will have created a resume by the end of the program

Additional Information on ESY Costs

Schools will be billed for $75 for the initial screening and for the first two weeks of the program before the program begins ($325 per week x 2 weeks).

Payment for the final week of the program will be billed at the end of July/beginning of August ($325).