Statement of Purpose 

The job sampling program at the Rose House Café is designed to be an integral part of the transition process for high school seniors. The Rose House is dedicated to providing opportunities to the developmentally disabled adults of Morris County.  The vocational program is designed to create good jobs for people with disabilities in our café and other vocational programs, train additional individuals for good jobs in private industry and then help them with the transition, and to be the employer of last resort for those individuals not employable in competitive jobs. The job sampling program is designed to offer high school students the exposure to “real-life” work situations in a supportive environment. 

Our definition of a good job is one in which the employee gets a reasonable wage for the work done, that there is a positive attitude in the workplace towards people with disabilities and the employees with disabilities, and that there be an opportunity for personal and work related growth over time. 

We endeavor to provide the work skills, job habits and interpersonal skills necessary for our clients to get and keep good jobs in the food service and other industries. We believe that most individuals with disabilities can with proper training and support be employed in the food services industry. Typical positions we seek out for our graduates include jobs in fast food establishments, restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, and company cafeterias, as well as employment in The Rose House Café. Our skill set also provides opportunities to entry level positions in non-food related retail stores. 

Description of Job Sampling Program 

The job sampling program is conducted at the Rose House Café, a business we started to offer jobs, job training and sampling, and awareness of the developmentally challenged in our community. The café is located at 139 Route 10 in Succasunna, and is open to the public from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm weekdays and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We provide instruction and hands-on experience in a variety of tasks, and modify each task to meet the specific needs of the students. Individualized instruction and supervision make the likelihood of success much greater than any “pre-planned” course of study. 

We teach real-life skills on a graduated basis, providing concrete examples as we proceed. Our graduates will be able to demonstrate a significant set of skills upon successful completion of our job sampling experience, as well as have a better understanding of the opportunities and expectations that face them upon graduation from the school system. We offer a very low ratio of students to instructors, and a one-to-one mentor relationship to our students for the hands-on portion of the job sampling.       

All job samplers will have exposure to the following areas:  

Schedules and Tuition

 The job sampling program typically consists of four hours per day, one day per week, for one semester. Summer programs are also available. This schedule can be modified as needed to accommodate the student and district needs. The hours of the program can be any time from 7 am to 2 pm, depending upon transportation and other considerations. At the end of the semester, we provide the student with counseling services if so desired. We also provide monthly and wrap-up reports to the school on the progress of the student.

 The cost of the job counseling is $35.00 per hour. We provide the job sampler with lunch. There is no charge for conferences, reporting, and job counseling. Job coaching for subsequent supported employment can be contracted for separately if needed. Transportation is the responsibility of the school district.

For more information or to set up an interview for potential students, please contact Mark Kramer, Executive Director at 973-984-0006.