Narrative: d. 2. G. i.

The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) believes that coordination with employers is integral to improving the workforce development system. Gathering/collecting information about employer needs, which will also be shared with other Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners, allows DRS to provide training and other services to vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers in order to meet business needs and expectations of current and future workers. To optimize its coordination with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities for consumers with disabilities, DRS takes a multi–faceted approach. DRS utilizes its own personnel in addition to partnering with WorkForce West Virginia to coordinate with employers across the state. Additionally, DRS has specific programs/strategies to identify employment and career exploration opportunities for students with disabilities, including the provision of pre–employment transition services. The strategies that DRS uses are described below.

DRS has an in–house Employer Services Section that specializes in providing employers with disability–related information, services, and pre–screened job seekers. The DRS Employer Services Section has 12 employment specialists that cover all 55 counties in West Virginia. DRS’ team of employment specialists provide business owners and employers with critical business options and assistance in staffing, employee retention strategies, education on disability–related issues, job accommodations, and information about financial incentives for employers who hire individuals with disabilities. In the previous fiscal year, employment specialists contacted 1,575 employers, attended 25 job fairs, coordinated with WorkForce WV, participated in rapid response events, attended local workforce development board (WDB; formerly known as workforce investment board, or WIB) meetings, and provided Job Clubs for students with disabilities.

Sample of services provided to employers:

–Pre–screened qualified applicants to reduce employers’ cost of recruitment and hiring.

–Consultation, recommendation, and training for retention of employees who acquire a disability.

–Technical assistance on the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

–Accessibility options and solutions.

–Employer on–site disability awareness training.

–Information on tax credits available to employers.

Direct contact with employers is a key strategy to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities for VR consumers, including students with disabilities. Employment specialists contact employers to identify current and future job openings. To complement this, DRS utilizes labor market information provided by WorkForce WV to identify the top employers in each county; contact is always made with the top ten employers in each county. When meeting with employers, employment specialists provide valuable information, including the DRS Employer Resource Guide. The resource guide provides the following information:

–Staffing services;

–Training programs and incentives for hiring people with disabilities;

–Financial incentives;

–Accessibility assessments;

–Accommodating employees with disabilities;

–Basic disability etiquette;

–Attitudinal barriers;

–Americans with Disabilities Act;

–Locating a DRS office; and

–Where to find additional resources.

The Employer Services Section maintains a database of each DRS–employer interaction with employment specialists. The information collected includes the business name, contact person, and current job openings by occupation. If needed, a referral to the DRS Rehabilitation Technology Unit is made to address workplace accommodations. This list is distributed to field staff to potentially match a job–ready VR consumer with a current job opening. Through positive working relationships, 19 employers, including some of the largest in the state, now send job postings directly to DRS’ Employer Services Section.

DRS also coordinates with employers through participation and membership in various community and regional organizations. These activities range from employer–specific organizations to public–private partnerships and allow DRS to better understand the needs of employers while jointly developing employment–related activities. Some of these partnerships include:

–Regional WDBs;

–Beckley–Raleigh Chamber of Commerce;

–Fayette County Chamber of Commerce;

–Weirton Area Chamber of commerce;

–Employer engagement and worksite tours for VR consumers through partnerships with community colleges such as Mountwest and Bridge Valley; and

–Employer tours through partnerships with high school and adult vocational/technical centers including South Branch Career and Technical Center and James Rumsey Technical Institute.

To raise awareness of DRS’ services available to employers and potential VR consumers, the agency engages in a statewide marketing campaign. To directly target business professionals, DRS has full–page advertisements in West Virginia Executive Magazine, West Virginia’s premier business publication. The agency also purchases radio advertisements across the state. Several of these ads are specifically directed toward businesses and outline the previously detailed employer services that DRS can provide. DRS also sponsors community events to ensure awareness among the general public.

Another key strategy to coordinate with employers is through collaboration with WorkForce WV, a WIOA core partner. WorkForce WV is the state agency that oversees numerous U.S. Department of Labor programs. This partnership takes place at all levels, including local offices, regional workforce development boards, and state level Interagency Collaboration Team meetings. These partnerships have been of great benefit for West Virginians with disabilities seeking training and employment.

Because of the services it provides, WorkForce WV has the largest database of both job seekers and job openings in the state. DRS is able to tap into these resources to identify current employment opportunities for VR consumers, identify needs of employers across the state, and utilize detailed labor market information to assist individuals (including students) with disabilities in identifying future career opportunities. This allows VR consumers to identify potential employment opportunities and any training or other VR services that are required for the job. Additionally, job–ready VR consumers can create an account with WorkForce WV to match with employers seeking workers with specific skills they already possess.