Pre-Employment Transition Services South Dakota
What Pre-ETS Is
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) are federally mandated services that state vocational rehabilitation agencies must provide to students with disabilities. In South Dakota, the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) delivers Pre-ETS to students starting at age 16 — well before they graduate or apply for full vocational rehabilitation services.
Pre-ETS exists to close a gap. Too many students with disabilities left school without any exposure to real employment, career planning, or workplace expectations. By the time they connected with adult VR services, they'd already lost years of potential skill development. Pre-ETS pushes that career preparation into the school years where it belongs.
The Five Required Services
Federal law under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires every state VR agency to provide five categories of Pre-ETS:
Job exploration counseling — helps students identify career interests, understand labor market trends, and explore occupations that match their skills and preferences. This goes beyond the career interest surveys most schools use — it connects students with real information about what specific jobs look like day to day.
Work-based learning experiences — the most impactful component. Students participate in workplace tours, job shadowing, internships, and paid work experiences in community settings. South Dakota's Project Skills program falls under this category, placing students in real jobs with coaching support.
Counseling on post-secondary education — guidance on college programs, vocational training, certificate programs, and post-secondary transition options like Augie Access at Augustana University, DWU LifeQuest, or Teachwell Strive at Southeast Technical College.
Workplace readiness training — practical instruction in the soft skills employers care about: punctuality, professional communication, following directions, workplace safety, personal hygiene, and appropriate workplace behavior.
Self-advocacy instruction — teaching students to understand their own disability, communicate their needs, request accommodations, and assert their rights in educational and employment settings. This component builds the foundation for self-determination throughout adulthood.
Who's Eligible
Any student with a disability between age 16 and the end of their school eligibility who has an IEP or a 504 plan is potentially eligible for Pre-ETS. The student does not need to be an active VR client — Pre-ETS is available as a standalone service, though it often leads to a full VR referral.
Students receiving Pre-ETS don't need to meet the full VR eligibility criteria (documented employment barrier, need for VR services). The eligibility threshold is lower specifically because Pre-ETS is designed to reach students earlier, before they've developed the work history and employment goals that full VR assessment requires.
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How to Access Pre-ETS
The most common pathway: the IEP team coordinates a referral to DRS during the transition IEP meeting. South Dakota's Department of Education and DRS have a collaborative relationship specifically designed to connect transition-age students with Pre-ETS.
You can also contact DRS directly at 605-773-3195 or [email protected] to initiate a referral outside the IEP process. A DRS VR counselor will meet with the student, assess their interests and needs, and identify which Pre-ETS services are appropriate.
Pre-ETS services are delivered through a mix of DRS staff, contracted providers, and community partners. The specific options available depend on where you live in South Dakota — urban areas like Sioux Falls and Rapid City have more employer partners and program options than rural communities.
Pre-ETS and the Bigger Picture
Pre-ETS is the front door to employment services for students with disabilities. It connects to full VR services after school, which in turn coordinates with SSI work incentives (SEIE, IRWE, PASS), ABLE account savings strategies, and Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) — the full employment infrastructure that protects benefits while supporting career development.
Starting Pre-ETS at 16 gives your child four to five years of workplace exposure before they face the adult employment landscape. Students who enter adulthood with real work experience, employer references, and an understanding of their own workplace needs are significantly better positioned than those who start from zero at age 21.
Our South Dakota SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide maps Pre-ETS alongside the full transition timeline — from school-based services through adult VR, waiver employment supports, and financial protections — so your family has a single coordinated framework for the employment transition.
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Download the South Dakota — SSI at 18 Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.