Narrative: d. 2. G. i.

ARS employs an agency to business and business to VR consumer relationship strategy that is designed to foster improved competitive and integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The strategy permits ARS to become an integral employment/recruitment stakeholder in business and industry and the business and industry partner to become an integral part of the VR program’s service delivery model. The following goals reflect this strategy: • Strategically collaborate with ARS district managers and VR counselors in an effort to develop employer relationships that can lead to improved employment outcomes. • Increase employer outreach and disability awareness through networking and marketing activities, which include but are not limited to activities such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) meetings, professional organization conferences, business coalition seminars, and updating and incorporating a business section on the agency website, etc. • Expand disability awareness and/or sensitivity training that is developed, conducted, and organized to target the disability inclusion managers of corporate customers. • Increase consumer contact visits to employers who are federal contractors and/or federal subcontractors to identify specific jobs and workforce needs pertaining to federal mandate for above entry level positions. • Increase consumer contact with companies headquartered in Arkansas, and make the business case for hiring ARS consumers into competitive, integrated employment at the middle and upper management levels. • Improve the quality of candidate screening activities to provide business customers a higher caliber candidate thus increasing the opportunity for ARS consumers to be given higher consideration for key positions. • Increase utilization of labor market analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of target occupational environments by increased analyzing of job trends and factors to promote strategic placement activities for ARS consumers. • With the passage of WIOA, a greater emphasis is being placed on ARS partnering with businesses, workforce partners, and other stakeholders. To achieve this outcome, ARS created Partners in Progress (PIP) to engage businesses and to provide them with qualified applicants while securing competitive jobs for ARS consumers. The PIP initiative provides job seekers and workers access to employment, education, training, and support services in the labor market. Matching employers with skilled workers creates a mutual benefit for both stakeholders. Additionally, ARS holds business career symposiums around the state in local field offices. • ARS will continue to utilize the Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP) system, which allows the agency to update consumer resumes and backgrounds in an electronic system that can be utilized by employers nationally. This increases the opportunities for consumers to a national level since a company may have a location in Arkansas but the recruiting and hiring authority is located in another state. This also may open doors to integrated employment and competitive wages and benefits. • ARS will host a business employment summit to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness month. The conference will bring business and industry leaders together with other stakeholders to increase awareness regarding hiring people with disabilities, and will provide opportunities to establish relationships with federal contractors that may result in hiring ARS consumers. ARS is working diligently to expand the state’s Business Leadership Network, which is made up of major employers in the state with a long-standing history of supporting employment of people with disabilities. This network will help in finalizing MOUs with employers as well as formalizing the relationship to ensure mutually beneficial business relationships. The Business Relations Section meets with businesses, chambers of commerce, and stakeholders to provide education about the Business Leadership Network (BLN) and the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. To date ARS has signed MOUs with 118 employers and will continue to market and provide education to business and industry to increase collaborative partnerships. ARS works directly with employers to develop and modify its services. ARS utilizes a mobile app to provide information about ARS as well as a follow-up form used by staff to interact with employment leaders so business relations representatives are able to provide more convenient follow-up. ARS will work with Career Workforce Boards and Local Workforce Boards to identify potential skill deficits that may serve as barriers to employment, while identifying the most appropriate training to assist consumers in obtaining employment. ARS will work with business and industry to establish on-the-job training agreements, job shadowing opportunities, and paid/unpaid work experiences. Access and Accommodations provides presentations (Worker’s Comp conference, U of A Conference, etc.), expertise, and assistance to employers seeking to provide workplace accommodations to current and potential employees; such programs as AT@Work, Stay at Work/Return to Work.