Transitional Employment Program

“I was able to learn more about myself, how to live independently, and use the skills needed to become competitively employed. It also gave me a chance to make new friends.”

Steven Muzyka, Class of 2009

What can you expect from our program?

The Transitional Employment Program (TEP) is an eleven-month program for adults with developmental disabilities. Olds College has proudly provided this program since 1981. The program helps graduates gain skills needed to enter and maintain employment. Staff work closely to support students and employers to establish goals, monitor progress, and evaluate achievement.

The TEP program consistently has a high rate of employment for its graduates. Approximately 70% percent of the program involves hands-on work experience training either on-campus or in the business community - and approximately 30% percent focuses on classroom instruction in employment and life skills training. Students must be Independent – Ready, Willing, Able. Students must be able to attend to their own personal care routines and be capable of working unsupervised at their worksite.

TEP Program Viewbook

What will you learn?

The program can be divided into three main components:

Classroom: Courses include Financial Management, Workplace Communications, Transition to the Workplace, Consumer Skills, Workplace Relations, and more. It can also include an integrated timetable for specially designed courses.
Work Experience I and II: Students participate in work experiences within the community of Olds and/or Olds College. This practical hands on work experience occurs from September to April. Best efforts to match the student’s interest with an employer ensures an experience they will enjoy.
Transitional Employment Program (TEP) Work Practicum: Students participate in an off-campus work practicum, usually near to their hometown. This work experience provides students with extended employment training that can lead to full-time employment. The practicum occurs from April to the end of June.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Demonstrate development of self-awareness.
Demonstrate conflict resolution skills.
Apply personal and financial management skills.
Develop effective communication skills.

Prepare personal resume/portfolio.
Develop strategies to obtain employment.
Demonstrate practical employability skills.
Develop basic computer skills.

Graduation Requirements: To obtain a certificate graduate, students must obtain 30 credits and achieve acceptable evaluations in classroom, work experiences, and final work practicum.

NOTE: Students in the Transitional Employment Program (TEP) are timetabled according to their individualized program plan. This can be completed through TEP classes and/or integrated courses. This is accommodated by integration into specially designed courses.

Credential: Certificate

Length Of Program: 11 Months

Method Of Delivery: On-campus Delivery (Olds, Ab)

Program Dates: Please visit our Dates & Schedules page to confirm start and end dates of your desired program and confirm campus closures.

Program Intakes: Summer Intake (August, 2022)

Applications Open: October 1 for the Summer Intake

Selection Process For Admission: First Qualified, First Accepted

Admission Requirements:

Must be 18 years of age or older, on or before, of the program start date
Required Documentation:
- Past program and educational reports
- Previous assessments (if available)
- Two letters of reference
- Copy of High School transcripts

Please note: This program is for adults with developmental disabilities. All suitable applicants are interviewed.

Application Procedure: Applicants are required to submit the following information:

An application and application fee of $78.75 ($75.00 + GST) online (visit the admissions page)

Please ensure applicants select “Summer” as the Intake Year

A PDF Program Application is also available for download from Student Forms

Submit Required Documentation

Tuition, Mandatory Fees, Books, & Supplies: Please refer to the current Fee Schedule for details.

Tuition: $11,960 / Fees: $1,650 / Books & Supplies: $450

Funding: If you have been offered a seat in the Transitional Employment Program (TEP), then you will be able to complete your Alberta Works funding application through an online process or a paper application. If you require help with your application, then please contact us at 1.800.661.6537, ext. 8336 or Alberta Supports at 1.877.644.9992. Funding covers books, supplies, and tuition.

Inclusive Post Secondary

Olds College is one of 20 Alberta post-secondary institutions to include students with developmental disabilities who are pursuing higher education by partnering with Inclusion Alberta. Inclusive Post-Secondary Education allows students with developmental disabilities to pursue the normative path of participating in regular programs, attending classes or labs, writing exams or assignments, and enjoying campus life at Olds College.

Inclusive Post-Secondary

Admitted Student Information

Program Dates: Find out when you term start and end dates are, so that you know when you are expected to be in attendance. For more information, please review the Program Dates & Fee Schedule.

Class Registration: You will be registered into your classes automatically. This will happen approximately 1 month prior to the start-date for your program. You will be notified once you have been timetabled into your courses. You will be able to see your class schedule in your My Olds College account. If you need to make any changes to your class registration, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Technology Recommendation: It is strongly recommended that you come to Olds College with the following technology:

A device capable of running Microsoft Office, preferably a laptop

As part of your student accounts, all students have access to Office 365 for the duration of their time with Olds College. To access this you just need to follow these steps:

Go to portal.office.com
Enter your Olds College email address and password
Once logged in there is a button on the right that says "Install Office Apps"

This will give you access to the full Office suite on your computer, for both Windows and Mac based platforms.

Materials & Supplies:

Information on other required textbooks and any further supplies will be provided as you attend each class. All books and supplies will be available during the first few weeks of classes in the College Campus Store.