Weekly Focus, October 16, 2015

An update and information report for doctors who provide consultative exams for OOD’s Division of Disability Determination
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

Kevin L. Miller, Executive Director

October 16, 2015

The mission of the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Agency is to ensure individuals with disabilities achieve quality employment, independence and disability determination outcomes.

What's Inside:

Cols Job Fair 2015

Connecting Job Ready Candidates with Employers

OOD kicked off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) with a job fair in Cincinnati on Friday, October 2nd.  This week we hosted two more job fairs, with Columbus on Wednesday and Toledo on Thursday.  Both events featured hundreds of job seekers interacting with dozens of area employers actively looking to fill vacant positions.

 

Watching this interaction first hand is a powerful reminder that matching qualified candidates with employers is at the heart of NDEAM and OOD.  Assisting individuals with disabilities in achieving quality employment and increased independence is the mission of the vocational rehabilitation program.

 

For job seekers, seeing these connections happen in person can have a big impact.  As with Cincinnati, we received very positive feedback from the job fair participants in Columbus and Toledo.   Reno Neely, who works for a temporary service and was impressed with both the job seekers and the employers he interacted with, had this to say:

 

“I was overwhelmed by how many people with disabilities were here. And I was surprised how many jobs were available that were above minimum wage for people with disabilities.  I was able to connect with some companies that were hiring immediately for permanent jobs and offering better wages than I am making now.”

 

James Gerding, who attended his first job fair in Toledo, noted that it is an important step towards employment:

 

“I liked the job fair because it gets you out of your comfort zone and allows you to see the different agencies out there and the different jobs. It allows you to get out there into the working world.“

 

Toledo Job Fair Maritz

 

From an employer’s perspective, John White, Regional Learning Center Manager, Workforce Initiatives CVS Health, had this to say about his positive experience with the job fairs:

 

“I was lucky enough to attend the Job Fairs in Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati over the last couple of weeks.  And all three were wonderfully planned out to give the job seekers the best possible chance to visit with potential employers and to express their desire to find a position.  I found that all of the participants were highly engaged and eager to find a job.  They had great questions and were very prepared for the event.  Also their job coaches were very encouraging and very eager to learn about what we had to offer.”

 

Like other NDEAM events across the country, the job fairs not only provide individuals with an opportunity to connect with employers, but they also help raise awareness with employers about the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities.  Each of the four regional job fairs feature an educational workshop aimed at helping Ohio businesses recruit a diverse workforce.

 

Thanks to JobsOhio for their continued support and to our staff who have worked so hard to make these events a success.

 

For more photos from these events please visit our Facebook page.

 

Our final regional job fair will be held in Independence on Monday, October 26th.

 


DDD Seeking to Build on FFY2015

As noted in last week’s Focus, the Disability Determination Division (DDD) exceeded all of its goals for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015.  Recognizing the hard work of Ohio and other Disability Determination Service (DDS) across the country, Nancy A. Berryhill, Deputy Commissioner for Operations at the Social Security Administration, expressed her thanks:

 

“I want to begin by extending my heartfelt gratitude for your continued dedication and commitment to public service.  Reflecting on FY 2015, it was amazing to see what we accomplished working together as a team.  Our achievements ensured that our customers received more efficient and effective service, and this was all due to everything you do each and every day. Thank you.

Let’s continue to build on this progress during FY 2016.  Our DCO Operating Plan remains as our guide to ensure that we focus on our operational priorities.  We must also stay committed to training our employees, emphasizing quality in everything we do, and fostering positive working relationships.”

 

DDD joins with Deputy Commissioner Berryhill in seeking to build on the success of 2015 and achieving even more in 2016.

 


Job Status by County

Individuals in Job Ready Status* Statewide: 3,856

 

(For larger map and county details please visit our website)

Job Ready Status by County

*Job Ready Status: Have received Vocational Rehabilitation services and are ready and seeking employment.


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