Customized Employment & Discovery Flashcards

What is the main purpose of the Discovery process in customized employment?

Answer: To find out who the job seeker is (interests, skills, and the conditions they need to succeed) by observing them and talking with them in familiar settings

Discovery is a qualitative, person-centered process. Instead of testing readiness or comparing the person to norms, it gathers information by spending time with the person in their home and community, interviewing people who know them well, and watching them do things. The goal is to understand their interests, contributions, and ideal working conditions.

Which of these is a typical outcome of Discovery that guides the next step, the customized job search?

Answer: A small set of vocational themes (often about three) drawn from the person's interests and skills

Discovery usually produces vocational themes: broad areas of interest and contribution, such as 'animals' or 'organizing things.' Each theme points to many possible businesses and tasks to explore during the customized job search.

An employment specialist notices that warehouse staff at a business lose time breaking down boxes, and proposes a new position made up of those tasks. What is this strategy called?

Answer: Job carving

Job carving creates a new or modified position by taking specific tasks out of one or more existing jobs. It fits the job seeker's strengths and frees other staff to focus on their core duties, so the business benefits too.

How does customized employment fundamentally differ from traditional job placement?

Answer: It starts with the individual's strengths, needs, and interests rather than with existing job openings

Traditional placement fits a candidate into an existing, posted opening. Customized employment, as defined in WIOA, starts with an individualized look at the person and then works with an employer to shape a job that meets both the person's contributions and the business's needs. The result is still competitive integrated employment.

In customized employment, what is a negotiated job description?

Answer: A set of duties the employer and job seeker agree on to fit the person's contributions and a real business need

The defining feature of customized employment is negotiating with the employer, usually through the employment specialist, to create a role whose tasks match what the person can contribute and solve a real business need.

An employment specialist builds a portfolio of photos and short descriptions showing what a job seeker can do, to share with employers. What is this tool usually called?

Answer: A visual résumé

A visual résumé (or representational portfolio) uses pictures and brief descriptions to show a job seeker's skills, interests, and contributions. It's especially helpful for people whose abilities don't come across well on a traditional résumé or in an interview.