Futurepath: transition professionals certificate program

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) awarded Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Health Sciences School of Nursing a $581,371 Project Grant effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, under the Innovative Rehabilitation Training program (CFDA 84.263). The award supports the FuturePath: Transition Professionals Certificate Program, a training initiative designed to develop new and enhanced instructional models for rehabilitation personnel serving individuals with disabilities. The program aligns with OSERS's mandate to create innovative training curricula that prepares vocational rehabilitation professionals and paraprofessionals to deliver effective rehabilitation services through state rehabilitation agencies and nonprofit service organizations.

The FuturePath certificate program will deliver professional development training to vocational rehabilitation personnel, with specific emphasis on workforce transition services. As a child entity of Rutgers operating within the Robert Wood Johnson Health Sciences structure, the School of Nursing leverages its established research infrastructure, clinical partnerships through RWJBarnabas Health System, and community-based networks across Newark and northern New Jersey to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of the new training curriculum. The one-year project period reflects the program's focus on curriculum development and initial demonstration of training effectiveness in preparing rehabilitation professionals to address the evolving labor market demands and support individuals with disabilities in achieving vocational goals.