District 219 Vocational Program

The Niles Township District 219 Vocational Program provides students with work experience in a variety of community settings. Students can learn skills and behaviors that will enable them to become productive, valued employees and members of the community. An emphasis is placed on acquiring new skills, interacting with others, and understanding the importance of responsibility in the workplace. With the support of local businesses, District 219 can continue to provide students with meaningful vocational experiences.

• Students are not hired by the employer.
• Students gain work experience as volunteers while on-the-job.
• Students typically work with a trained job coach, provided by our district.
• Vocational coordinators supervise students and job coaches, in addition to collaborating closely with employers.

Students can gain work experiences through a variety of work site settings:

Competitive Sites: Students work as paid employees, learning vocational and life-skills in realistic settings. They work independently with minimal support.

Vocational Training Sites: Students work as volunteers with the assistance of a job coach. They work at an individualized pace and gain a variety of work-readiness skills, while receiving a stipend through the district.

Tasks vary based on the employer’s needs. Some tasks might include, but are not limited to:

ABT

Aramark Food Service

Bethany Nursing Facility

Bloomingdale’s

Culver School

Doubletree Hotel

Niles Central High School

Niles North High School

Niles West High School

North Shore University Hospital

Skokie Public Library