Workability III
Monday – Friday:
8am-5pm (by appointment only)
College of Alameda Career and Employment Center
College of Alameda
Cougar Village (CV) 225
555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy, Alameda, CA 94501
Is WorkAbility III Right for You?
Many students think that having a certificate or degree will open the doors to employment. However, work experience (such as internships or volunteer opportunities), learning effective job search techniques, and workplace professionalism are very important factors that can help you reach your career goal!
WAIII is here to help support you with gaining all these workplace skills, increasing your chance of getting an awesome job that fits with your education, skills, strengths, and interests. Also, if you’re not sure what career field is right for you, we can help with that!
Starting your employment journey is a big decision. It’s important that you have the time, energy, and motivation to participate in career-focused activities, including looking for a job or internship.
What's Involved?
You will get out of this process what you put into it, and we are here to support you!
- Generally, WAIII staff meet with students at least 1-2 times per week
- You will also have tasks you’ll need to complete outside of your meetings
- You can plan to spend 5-10 hours/week on activities which can get you closer to your career goal
Who Is Eligible for WorkAbility III?
- Students attending one of the Peralta Community Colleges
- Must have a disability; this includes learning disabilities, ADHD, mental health, depression, anxiety, physical disabilities, blind/low vision, Deaf/hard of hearing, chronic health conditions, etc.
- Must be a Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) consumer, or be willing to apply for DOR services
You Must Be a Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) Consumer
There are two paths you can take to get connected to WAIII:
I am a current DOR consumer:
- Contact your DOR counselor and request to be referred to the College of Alameda WorkAbility III program.
- Direct your counselor to email nagarwal@peralta.edu if they have any questions about the referral process.
- Once your referral packet has been sent to WAIII, the WAIII Coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment with you to begin WAIII services!
I am not a current DOR consumer:
- Visit the Department of Rehabilitation web page.
- Find the contact info for the DOR counselor liaison assigned to your college or submit the DOR interest form
- A DOR counselor will then set up an intake appointment with you to determine the services you need and your identified career goal
- During this meeting, you can also request a referral to WAIII
- Once your referral packet has been sent to WAIII, the WAIII Coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment with you to begin WAIII services!
OUR CONTACT
WorkAbility III
P: (510) 543-2476 or (510) 748-2138
Neelam Agarwal, WorkAbility III Coordinator
E: nagarwal@peralta.edu
P: (510) 543-2476
Laura Spencer Vacca, WorkAbility III Job Developer
E: lspencervacca@peralta.edu
P: (510) 748-2138
For more information on becoming a WorkAbility III Participant:
Call your Department of Rehabilitation counselor to be referred to the program. If you are not a Department of Rehabilitation client visit to the California State Department of Rehabilitation website or call 510-622-2764 to become a client.