ODEP News Brief - March 2, 2018

March 2, 2018

Twitter Chat on Apprenticeships and Career Readiness Opportunities

In collaboration with the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, ePolicyWorks is hosting a Twitter chat on March 7. It will discuss inclusive and accessible options for readying a skilled workforce, such as apprenticeships, and address the ways that businesses, federal and state policymakers, and family members of people with disabilities can best support and promote career readiness. This event is being held in conjunction with the ePolicyWorks online dialogue, “Work Matters: Readying a Skilled Workforce,” hosted by ODEP’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability. To join the Twitter chat and follow along, use the hashtag #EPWChat.

• Learn about the ePolicyWorks Twitter chat
• Join the SEED Work Matters online dialogue

EFSLMP Provider Transformation 2.0 Webinar Series

In March, the Office of Disability Employment Policy will launch the Provider Transformation 2.0 Webinar Series, six 90-minute sessions led by national subject matter experts from the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program. The webinars are designed for community rehabilitation providers who have already begun to transform their service delivery model to one with an emphasis on competitive, integrated employment as the priority outcome for individuals served. Through this series, ODEP will gather more feedback to create the "Provider Transformation 2.0 Manual" as a supplemental resource for the field. This opportunity is open to all CRPs. Complete the online application and Provider Commitment Form by March 5. Applicants will be notified by March 12.

• Learn about the webinar series

LEAD Center and DEI Webinar Series on AJCs and Section 188

Technical assistance teams from the LEAD Center and the Disability Employment Initiative will jointly facilitate a series of three live webinars on “AJC Certification & Section 188: A Window of Opportunity to Impact Equal Opportunity Policy & Practice for People with Disabilities.” Attendees of the series will increase their knowledge of the intersection between WIOA disability-related provisions, Section 188 Equal Opportunity regulations, and AJC Certification, among other topics. Webinars will be presented on March 7, March 21, and April 4.

• Register for the webinar series

Employment and Economic Advancement Resource Map

The LEAD Center has prepared the Employment and Economic Advancement Resource Map to identify national initiatives that can support individuals as they take steps toward establishing financial stability. The next step will be to identify the local providers of these services within your community. If you already have a trusted source to identify these local providers, this guide will add to what you already know. If you don’t have a resource expert, this guide is a place to start.

• Utilize the Employment and Economic Advancement Resource Map

Return-to-Work Toolkit

When unexpected injury or disability prevents an experienced, valued employee from working temporarily, employers may face difficult challenges. Fortunately, businesses can use a number of strategies to help these valued employees get back on the job quickly and smoothly. To assist, ODEP offers a “Return-to-Work Toolkit” designed to help employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provide resources to assist in successful transitions back to employment. Effective approaches can help employees work while still recuperating, protecting their earning power, and boosting an organization's output.

• Access the ”Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees and Employers”