Pre-ETS: what pre-employment transition services offer students

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Pre-employment transition services, or Pre-ETS, are free job readiness services for students with disabilities, run by your state's vocational rehabilitation agency. They cover five areas: job exploration, work-based learning, college and training counseling, workplace readiness and self-advocacy. Students with an IEP or 504 plan can usually get them while still in school, often from age 14 or 16.

Pre-ETS is one of the least known supports for teens with disabilities. It comes from the state agency that helps adults with disabilities find work, but it starts while your child is still in school. Your child does not need to have a job lined up, or even know what they want to do.

This page explains the five services, who can get them, and how they fit with the IEP.

What Pre-ETS is

Pre-ETS stands for pre-employment transition services. A 2014 federal law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, told every state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency to offer these services to students with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education's transition guide explains how Pre-ETS fits between school and adult services.^[1]

There are five required services:

Service	What it can look like
Job exploration counseling	Interest surveys, talking about careers, learning what jobs pay and what training they need
Work-based learning	Job shadowing, internships, paid summer jobs, volunteer work in the community
Counseling on college and training	Learning about community college, trade schools, apprenticeships and how to apply
Workplace readiness training	Social skills at work, being on time, money skills, using a bus to get to work
Instruction in self-advocacy	Learning about your own needs, asking for accommodations, peer mentoring

The services may happen at school, in the community, in summer programs or online. Some VR agencies run them directly. Others pay schools or local providers to do it. The national technical assistance center on transition helps states and schools set up these services together.^[3]

Who can get Pre-ETS

In general, a student can get Pre-ETS if they:

Have a disability. An IEP or a 504 plan usually shows this. Students without either may also qualify with other documentation.
Are in school. That includes high school, a transition program, and in some cases college or training.
Are within the age range your state uses. It often starts at 14 or 16 and runs to 21. Ask your VR agency for your state's ages.

Your child does not have to apply for full VR services to get Pre-ETS. Students who might be eligible for VR can receive these services first.

How Pre-ETS shows up on the IEP

Pre-ETS is not part of the IEP itself. But the IEP team can plan around it, and a VR counselor can be invited to the meeting with your consent. The IEP must list transition services, and it can name other agencies that will help.^[2]

Here is a made-up transition services section for a 16-year-old named Sam. Hold it next to your child's IEP.

What each part means:

"Pre-ETS job exploration group" is a VR service. The school does not pay for it.
"Summer work experience" is often the most valued Pre-ETS service. Many students get their first paid job this way.
"Complete the Pre-ETS referral form" is the step families miss most. Someone has to send the form.
"VR counselor invited" links the student to adult services before graduation. The guide on inviting vocational rehabilitation to the IEP explains how that meeting works.

How Pre-ETS connects to IEP goals

Pre-ETS gives your child real work experience. IEP goals can build the skills that make that experience work. For example, a student in a summer job may need goals for starting tasks on time or asking a supervisor for help. The vocational IEP goals and keeping a job goals pages have examples. The library has templates for vocational skills and career exploration.

Questions to ask the team

"Does our school work with the state VR agency on Pre-ETS?"
"What age can my child start Pre-ETS in our state?"
"How do we make a referral, and who sends it?"
"Which of the five Pre-ETS services are offered near us?"
"Is there a summer work program my child could join?"
"Can a VR counselor come to the next IEP meeting?"
"How will what my child learns in Pre-ETS show up in the IEP?"
"When should we apply for full VR services?"

What to do next

Find your state VR agency. Search for your state's name and "vocational rehabilitation." Look for a page on Pre-ETS or student services.
Ask the school's transition contact whether a Pre-ETS counselor serves your child's school.
Fill out the referral. It is usually short. Ask the school to help.
Plan for summer. Many work experience programs fill up in early spring.
Get free help. Your state's Parent Training and Information Center can explain how Pre-ETS works where you live. You can find it through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[4]

For the bigger picture of planning for life after high school, see the transition planning guide. The Pre-ETS glossary entry has a short definition you can share.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pre-ETS free?

Yes. Pre-ETS is paid for by your state's vocational rehabilitation agency. Families do not pay for these services.

Can a student with a 504 plan get Pre-ETS?

Yes. Pre-ETS is for students with disabilities, and a 504 plan usually shows that. Students with an IEP can get it too, as can some students with other documentation of a disability.

What is the difference between Pre-ETS and VR services?

Pre-ETS is a set of five early job readiness services for students. Full VR services are for people who apply and are found eligible, and they lead to an individual plan for employment. A student can start with Pre-ETS and apply for full VR later.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative, NTACT:C
Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.