Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
__________
* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- G. Coordination with Employers(Formerly known as Attachment 4.8(b)(5)). Describe how the designated State unit will work with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities in order to facilitate the provision of:
- G. Coordination with Employers
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. G. ii. Transition Services, Including Pre-employment Transition Services, for Students and Youth with Disabilities.
Current Narrative:
With the greater emphasis on providing pre–employment transition services, VRS staff have reached out to local school districts across the state to identify how transition students are currently able to access community–based work–based learning opportunities and what gaps need to be filled. In many instances, there are work–based learning coordinators, hired by the school district, that have at least some employer relationships within the community. However, many of these coordinators report that they don’t always have the time or expertise to form the breadth of relationships that meets the needs of all students. VRS is working collaboratively with these coordinators to create a structure for connecting them to employer relationships and job leads created/ identified by the regional placement partnerships and to revise and deliver the Placement 101 training in order to meet the unique needs of these school staff members. On the flip side, where there aren’t work–based learning coordinators available to students, VRS is identifying alternative options to work with employers to offer students work experiences. First, VRS and three Workforce Investment Board Title I Youth programs are currently piloting a way to collaboratively identify students in need of paid work–based learning experiences and connect them to employers to provide these experiences at integrated work settings in the community. In these 12–week experiences, students will gain confidence and skills to help propel them along career pathways. As many as 50 students will be served with this model. Furthermore, VRS is working with Community Rehabilitation Providers on various opportunities as well. These include job shadows, job try–outs, internships, and full and part–time jobs. Lastly, VRS has both internal and contracted job placement positions that are re–directing their time within VRS offices to focus more intentionally on partnering with employers to offer these opportunities as well.