A pre-employment program is a structured, skills-based experience designed to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) build the confidence, habits, and real-world skills they need to succeed in the workplace.
These work readiness programs for adults with disabilities bridge the gap between school or day services and competitive integrated employment. Rather than jumping directly into a job search, participants first explore what work looks, feels, and sounds like — in real environments, with real expectations.
Pre-employment training programs like BCI’s typically focus on:
- Understanding workplace norms and expectations
- Building stamina and consistent attendance
- Identifying personal strengths and career interests
- Practicing communication and task-completion skills
- Overcoming individual barriers to employment
Think of it as job-readiness training: a critical first step toward intellectual disability employment and lasting career success.
Who Benefits Most from Pre-Employment Programs?
Pre-employment programs are designed for adults with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities who have little to no prior work experience. This includes young adults approaching high school graduation, as well as older adults who are ready to explore employment for the first time.
Families often wonder whether their loved one is ready. A helpful way to gauge it: Are you comfortable with your son or daughter going into a grocery store independently to grab a few items? If the answer is yes, they are likely ready for pre-employment training. A small foundation of independence is what this program builds upon.
Pre-Employment may not yet be the right fit for someone who hasn’t reached that level of independence, but it can absolutely be a goal to work toward.
Good candidates for this job training program for disabled adults are individuals who:
- Have little or no formal work history
- Are motivated to find jobs but unsure where to start
- Are nearing the end of high school or transitioning out of school services
- Are on a waiting list for supported employment and want to prepare now
- Want to explore different types of careers before committing to a specific path
Whether someone is searching for jobs for adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities, or simply looking to build work skills for the first time, pre-employment may be the right place to begin.
Why BCI Created Its Pre-Employment Program
Boone Center, Inc. (BCI) has a long track record of helping people with IDD find and keep meaningful jobs. But the demand for intellectual disability employment services is high. Currently, BCI’s waitlist for employment support is 6–7 months.
Rather than asking people to simply wait, BCI launched its Pre-Employment Program so participants can use that time productively — building work skills, gaining exposure to real work environments, and getting a head start on their path to employment.
“Pre-Employment candidates want a job,” said BCI Chief Employment Officer Katie Jones. “This opportunity not only gets them skilled up but could also open the door to a competitive job they never thought they wanted or could achieve.”
BCI’s first Pre-Employment cohort launched in October 2025. As a result of learnings from this first cohort, BCI has now moved to rolling enrollment, and they are now accepting applications.
What Makes BCI’s Pre-Employment Different
An Intensive, Focused Schedule
Many pre-employment programs for adults with disabilities offer only a few hours of support each week. BCI takes a different approach: one that more closely mirrors the rhythm and demands of an actual job.
“Our program is intensive in a positive way,” said Jones. “We are very focused on diving into the barriers and assessing the strengths.”
BCI’s schedule is built around depth and consistency. Regular attendance is a program requirement because building stamina is one of the most important and often overlooked components of work skills training for adults with disabilities.
Deep-Dive Assessments
BCI uses specific, validated assessment tools to understand each participant as an individual. For example, the Feasibility Evaluation Checklist (FEC) is a vocational observation tool that evaluates an individual’s performance in work skills and behaviors. The evaluation is administered at enrollment and tracked throughout the program to measure real progress over time.
These assessments help identify not just what someone can do, but what might be standing in their way — and what they are uniquely good at. The goal is a clear, individualized picture before any job development or career exploration begins.
Three Diverse Work Sites (and Growing)
One of the most distinctive features of BCI’s pre-employment training program is the variety of real-world settings participants experience. BCI has partnered with three community business sites already and plans to reach five. Each site offers a completely different work environment and skill set, giving participants broad exposure to employment opportunities they may never have considered.
- Marcy’s Project — General retail experience, including sorting, tagging, and sanitizing home goods
- Mid America Veterans Museum — Housekeeping, landscaping, greeting visitors, and the opportunity for public speaking as a tour guide
- Fort Zumwalt Early Childhood Center — Food service, light administrative and office tasks, and cleaning
Participants interact with people of every age: young children at the childhood center, veterans and older adults at the museum, and a mix of shoppers and managers at Marcy’s. This breadth of human interaction helps build communication skills and social confidence that carry into any workplace.
Jones believes one of the program’s greatest strengths is offering multiple job sites. “Getting supported exposure to a variety of work environments is ideal,” she says. “Until you try something for yourself, you can’t really know if it’s the right fit.”
In-Class Vocational Training
Between community site visits, participants return to BCI’s Lakeside location for hands-on activities in BCI’s vocational training center. With replica work settings for manufacturing and hospitality/housekeeping, participants have the opportunity to practice other work tasks in a structured, supportive setting.
This classroom component expands the skills training and helps participants prepare for real jobs available for developmentally disabled adults in their area.
Safe, Supervised Community Experience
Transportation to and from all work sites is provided by BCI. Participants start and end each day at Lakeside, making the program accessible for families who face transportation barriers.
BCI maintains a staff-to-participant ratio of 1:4 or less in the community, ensuring each person receives consistent, individualized support throughout the day.
What Comes After Pre-Employment?
BCI’s pre-employment program does not have to be a standalone experience; it can be the first step in a larger pathway to competitive integrated employment. When participants complete the program, BCI offers a full continuum of services to support what comes next.
BCI’s Competitive Employment program includes Discovery and Exploration, job development, interview preparation, ongoing supported employment, and more. For adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities seeking real careers rather than short-term placements, this pathway is designed to help them get there.
Consider Daniel’s story: Daniel was part of BCI’s first Pre-Employment cohort and then continued with BCI through the Discovery and Exploration (D&E) process. By mid-February, he had entered job development and was actively exploring job opportunities and interviewing. Today, he has received a verbal job offer and is awaiting his start date. What started as a step toward work readiness became a real path to a competitive job.
Daniel’s journey shows what is possible when structured job training and the right support are in place. Pre-Employment gave him the foundation. BCI’s broader programs are helping him build on it.
Ready to Explore Employment Opportunities?
If you or someone you support has little to no work experience and is ready to take the first step toward meaningful employment, BCI’s Pre-Employment Program may be the right fit.
Whether the goal is finding jobs for adults with intellectual disabilities, building independence, or exploring careers for adults with learning disabilities, this program meets people where they are and helps them get where they want to go.
BCI is actively accepting applications for Pre-Employment.
Contact us today to learn more or apply.