TAMPA, Fla. — After graduating from high school, most students are faced with two choices: continue their education or get a job.

But for young people with disabilities, simply graduating from high school doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to enter the workforce.

What You Need To Know

  • The Focus Academy is a tuition-free public charter school for students who have cognitive and developmental challenges

  • The Transition Program is for young people aged 18-22, and helps teach them important job skills

  • Once a week, students in the program spend the day working at one of the school’s community-based training sites

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for people aged 20-24 without disabilities is 6.4%. But for those with some sort of disability, it’s nearly double at 11.8%.

One program at the Focus Academy in Hillsborough County is working to close the gap by providing a transition program for its students.

“Those years after high school are really important for students with disabilities, because even though you have your high school diploma, you may not quite be ready for the next step," said Focus Academy's Heather Rodriguez. "So having those few years to learn how to be a good employee, about timeliness, about working with other people, about following multi-step directions, those can be critical skills in landing a job and keeping a job.” 

Shannia Melhado is a 21-year old student in the Transition Program, and once a week, she and the other students in the program spend the day working at one of the school’s community-based training sites. When she spoke to Spectrum News, students were working at Feeding Tampa Bay.

Melhado works on sorting food, and explained that shortly after moving to the United States from Jamaica, she started going to school at the Focus Academy in 2017. She has a learning disability and a speech impediment that she’s been working on, but says she’s made huge improvements.  

“Ever since I have gotten to Focus Academy, I have accomplished my learning skills," she said. "They have gotten higher and higher, because I struggled a lot."

By volunteering at sites like Feeding Tampa Bay, Melhado and her classmates receive on-the-job training, and learn valuable skills — like how to work with others. But mostly, Melhado said the biggest lesson she is learning is how to be independent.

“We know that, 'Hey, I have learned this in transitions, I know what to do, there’s a task I have to do,'" she said. "It’s really taught me that, and giving back to the community, because I believe the kindness you put out in this world has a way of coming back to you."

Back in the classroom, Melhado said that thanks to the Transition Program, she’s confident that she’ll get her dream job working as an esthetician.

“Just know that you’re important and it doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,” she said.

The Focus Academy is a tuition-free public charter school. It works with students who have cognitive and developmental challenges.