Every job requires some type of training. Perhaps your child has a job walking the neighbor's dog. Your child will be told how often and how far to walk the dog, and whether it should have breaks along the way. He also will be told what to do if approaching another dog and its owner.

But not all job training is that simple. The training and education needed for a job might range from on-the-job instruction to multiple college degrees.

On-the-Job Training

Some jobs provide training on the job. Every job provides some type of orientation to the specific position, but true on-the-job training is all-inclusive. Some jobs that offer such training include:

• Waiting tables

• Cook

• Busboy

• Janitor

• Sales clerk

• Receptionist

• Some child care positions

• Groundskeeper

• Bus driver

Your child may be hired for work that offers on-the-job training to all employees. He may be part of a supported work program in which a job coach provides additional, specialized on-the-job training. An example would be a worker with a cognitive delay who would need straightforward instruction and detailed feedback for the required work tasks. Some workers may require specialized instruction in addition to job training. A worker who is visually impaired may need orientation and mobility training.

Sheltered Workshops

If the worker is part of a sheltered workshop, he will receive ongoing on-the-job training. Supervisors and trainers are a part of this work model, where the tasks are easily mastered by the workers and are completed in an environment of workers who are predominantly disabled.

Trade Schools and Certification Programs

Some jobs require some training, but not a college degree program. Examples of jobs that require this level of education and training include:

• Electrician

• Plumber

• Auto mechanic

• Hairstylist

• Real estate agent

• Insurance agent

• Dental hygienist

• Lab technician

• X-ray technician

• Emergency medical technician

• Police officer

• Firefighter

Training for these jobs might be in a trade school, short-term training program, or a certificate program offered by a community college.

College

Some jobs require an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or higher levels of college work. Without a degree and professional license or certificate in the field, these jobs cannot be obtained. The following are basic skills indicating success in most college programs:

Written and oral communication ability (The student may communicate through an interpreter if he is deaf or with assistive technology if he has a physical impairment.)

• Understanding of program concepts (A student with a learning disability may need books in audio format, but he should be able to grasp the ideas presented on the tapes.)

• Ability to attend to a task (The student may use strategies to break up study tasks and to complete assignments.)

• Perseverance in long-range goals (The student should be able to work toward a goal that will last several years.)

Reasonable accommodations are available to students with various disabilities to provide support to complete the programs.