ACCES-VR Pre-Employment Transition Services in New York

What Pre-ETS Are and Who They Are For

Pre-Employment Transition Services are early career-readiness activities that students with disabilities can access before they finish school — and before they need to apply for full vocational rehabilitation. In New York, these services are administered through ACCES-VR (Adult Career and Continuing Education Services–Vocational Rehabilitation), a division of the State Education Department.

Pre-ETS are available to students aged 14 through 21 who have a documented disability. The documentation can be an IEP, a 504 plan, or a psychological assessment confirming a qualifying condition. The student does not need to apply for full VR services or have an open ACCES-VR case to access Pre-ETS — a simpler "Potentially Eligible" referral is sufficient.

This lower barrier makes Pre-ETS one of the most accessible transition tools available to New York families, yet many families do not learn about them until their child is nearly aging out of school.

The Five Pre-ETS Service Categories

Federal law under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act requires every state VR agency to offer five specific Pre-ETS activities. In New York, ACCES-VR delivers these through a network of contracted community rehabilitation providers:

1. Job exploration counseling. Students learn about different career paths, industries, and job types. This includes interest inventories, informational interviews, job shadowing, and workplace tours. The goal is exposure — helping students identify what kind of work interests them before they commit to a specific training path.

2. Work-based learning experiences. Structured opportunities to practice working in real or simulated job settings. This can include internships, apprenticeships, short-term work experiences, and on-the-job training. Students receive support from a job coach or employment specialist during these experiences.

3. Counseling on postsecondary education. Guidance on college options, vocational training programs, certificate programs, and other education paths. For students pursuing a CDOS credential or Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential rather than a Regents diploma, this counseling focuses on career-technical pathways that build directly on the credential.

4. Workplace readiness training. Instruction in the foundational skills employers expect — showing up on time, following directions, communicating with coworkers, managing a schedule, workplace safety, personal presentation, and social interaction in professional settings.

5. Self-advocacy instruction. Students learn to communicate their own needs, request accommodations, understand their rights under the ADA, and navigate workplace situations independently. This is particularly important for students transitioning from school, where accommodations are provided automatically through the IEP, to employment, where the individual must self-identify and request supports.

How to Access Pre-ETS in New York

The Potentially Eligible referral. For students who do not yet have an open ACCES-VR case, the school district or the family can submit a Potentially Eligible (PE) referral to the local ACCES-VR district office. This referral requires only proof of a documented disability — typically a copy of the IEP or 504 plan. No full VR application is needed.

Once the PE referral is processed, ACCES-VR connects the student with a contracted Pre-ETS provider in their area. The provider delivers services during or after school hours, depending on the activity.

Through an open VR case. Students who already have an Individualized Plan for Employment with ACCES-VR can receive Pre-ETS as part of their broader VR service plan. In this case, the VR counselor coordinates Pre-ETS alongside other services like vocational assessments, assistive technology, and job placement support.

Through the school district. Some districts have direct agreements with ACCES-VR Pre-ETS providers and integrate these services into the IEP transition plan. Ask the Committee on Special Education whether your district has a Pre-ETS provider agreement and whether services can be written into the IEP's transition goals.

Pre-ETS and the Section 301 Connection

Here is where Pre-ETS becomes strategically important beyond career readiness. If your child's SSI is discontinued during the age-18 redetermination because the SSA determines they no longer meet the adult disability standard, Section 301 of the Social Security Act can keep benefits flowing — but only if the individual is actively participating in an approved vocational or educational program at the time of the medical cessation.

An active IEP, an Individualized Plan for Employment with ACCES-VR, or participation in a Ticket to Work program all qualify. Pre-ETS participation through a PE referral alone may not meet the threshold, but transitioning from Pre-ETS into a full ACCES-VR application with an IPE creates the documented program participation that Section 301 requires.

If the student transitions between programs (for example, from school under an IEP to an ACCES-VR program), they have a 90-day grace period to sign a new written program plan and maintain uninterrupted Section 301 eligibility.

Timing Pre-ETS in the Transition Sequence

Start early. Pre-ETS are available as young as 14, and the career exploration and work-based learning experiences are most valuable when the student has time to try different options before school ends.

The practical sequence:

1. Ages 14–15: Submit a PE referral and start with job exploration counseling and workplace readiness training.
2. Ages 16–17: Move into work-based learning experiences and postsecondary education counseling.
3. Ages 17–18: If the student will benefit from ongoing VR support after school, submit a full ACCES-VR application and develop an IPE. This creates continuity between school-based Pre-ETS and adult VR services.
4. Ages 18–22: Continue receiving VR services under the IPE while still enrolled in school, then transition to job placement and supported employment upon exit.

Connecting Pre-ETS to the Bigger Picture

Pre-ETS is one piece of a multi-agency transition plan that includes OPWDD service authorization, SSI management, Medicaid enrollment, and legal decision-making. The New York SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide integrates all of these timelines into a single sequenced plan — so ACCES-VR, OPWDD, SSA, and school-based services are coordinated rather than competing for the family's attention.

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