New Employment Workforce Development System

The Maine Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services are pleased to announce the NEW Employment Workforce Development System beginning in July 2022. The Maine Working Together Workforce Development System focuses on providing training and education for employment services providers and for human services providers and educators supporting individuals with disabilities on the pathway to employment.

The Maine Departments of Labor, Education and Health & Human Services utilize the Employment First Maine Statute to set direction which ensures a competitive first and preferred outcome employment for individuals with disabilities supported by these agencies.

The Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass has been awarded the contract for this workforce development system. Together with the 3 State Departments and a Maine advisory group, they will be developing and implementing a comprehensive system of training and support in Maine to educators and school assigned transition coordinators, case managers, employment specialists and state agency staff with the goal of creating a strong, well-trained and knowledgeable employment service workforce statewide.

The Maine Working Together project will provide training, resources, and assistance to Employment Services providers, teachers, case managers, and other professionals to support quality employment outcomes in Maine.
An Advisory Committee will be developed soon and will be seeking members to assist in the oversight and guidance of the Workforce system- stay tuned!

About The ICI
The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston supports the rights of children and adults with disabilities to participate in all aspects of society. Their work focuses on the intersection of disability in employment, education, health care, and community life. Together we advocate for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice.
ICI promotes the full inclusion of people with disabilities into the mainstream workforce. We provide direct employment services to individuals with disabilities. Our employment related efforts also include staff training, technical assistance, and research. We develop a wide array of tools and resources for a broad range of audiences, including practitioners, policymakers, and people with disabilities and their families.

The new Website can be found at www.maineworkingtogether.org

Please share this announcement with all interested stakeholders working to increase access to employment pathways for Mainers with disabilities. Stay tuned for more announcement, trainings, webinars, and support coming soon.