Traditionally, developmentally disabled youth have been trained for assembly-line jobs, "but by the turn of the century, the assembly jobs might not even be around," Miller said.
Target Occupations
Other occupational target areas include child care, health care, hotel and motel work, fast foods, custodial and office occupations, she said.
One job-seeker was Carolyn Pfeiffer, 26, who is taking part in Project Independence, a state-funded Anaheim program which helps developmentally disabled young adults learn to live and work on their own, and who came to "Career Awareness Day" hoping to find a position.
She said she was a little discouraged because none of the employers staffing booths seemed ready to hire someone right away. However, she added that she had picked up some general job information, and she still was determined to find work.
"Most of all I'd like to take care of handicapped people," said Pfeiffer, who has in the past worked for Goodwill Industries but is presently unemployed.
Child care is another area of interest to her, she said, because working with "little children, that's my thing." If she couldn't find a job in either of those areas, Pfeiffer added, she'd consider landscape or janitorial work.
She wants a job where she can help other people, Pfeiffer said, but "it's not for the money--it's for the enjoyment of life."
