Moving Forward: Innovative Disability and Employment Service Delivery

David Jones, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S, Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration

Laura Gleneck, Project Manager, DEI Technical Assistance Team, National Disability Institute

Lance Kaldor, Workforce Consultant Senior, Meridian Local Office, Idaho Department of Labor

Jodi Yanda M.S., CRC, Disability Services Integration Manager, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Keri Osterhaus, M.S., CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Program Administrator, Iowa Department for the Blind

Ashley D. Clark, State Disability Resource Coordinator, California Employment Development Department

The Workforce Innovation Cohort on Disability and Employment launched with 18 states from across the country to address disability and employment issues. The state and local teams were comprised of a cross-section of WIOA core and required program partners and other key stakeholders that focused on three topic areas: Accessibility, Customer Service, and Employer Engagement. 

Over the course of six months, each of the teams engaged in peer learning activities. Through research, brainstorming, discussion, and cross-state collaboration, three teams within the cohort developed and piloted capstone products to address the following cohort challenge questions: 

• Accessibility Cohort; How might we further maximize physical and programmatic access for customers with disabilities using the services of an American Job Center?
• Customer Service Cohort; How might we ensure individuals with disabilities experience seamless customer service across WIOA programs at American Job Centers?
• Employer Engagement Cohort; How might we more effectively engage employers with recruiting, hiring, and training job seekers with disabilities as an integrated strategy of the American Job Center Service Delivery?

In jointly examining the above questions, cohort members collaborated to develop tools to help further maximize seamless service delivery, universal access, and improved outreach to employers. Join to learn more about these tools and how you can apply them in your own state!

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• Posted by: Jon Vehlow
• Posted in: Global