Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
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* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
d. 2. P. iii. The Vr Program's Performance on the Performance Accountability Indicators Under Section 116 of WIOA.
Current Narrative:
he agency achieved all indicators with the exception of Indicator 1.5, Average wage. Factors that negatively impacted the achievement of Indicator 1.5 include the following:
1.) ADRS serves a large number of transition cases that typically go to work at entry level wages. The data support this conclusion as 53.7% of all active cases were between ages 14—24 at application and 48.6% of all FY 15 successful closures fall in this age group at application. As with the general population of persons without disabilities, this age group typically goes to work at entry level wages and must obtain work experience or increased education or credentials in order to demand higher wages. The Blind/Deaf section easily exceeded the Indicator 1.5 wage threshold due to the fact that this population often enters into and completes higher education or vocational training in order to overcome their barriers to employment. The success rate with this population is evidence that vocational and or occupational training does result in improved wage outcomes. 2.) The economy of Alabama has been severely limited by the national economic crisis over the past seven years. Although 2015 showed some relief in the unemployment rate, wages in Alabama and nationally have remained stagnant. Therefore, increases in wages to meet the state’s wage standard have not risen, especially for the entry level worker as described above.
3.) Alabama has in the past two decades invested heavily in attracting automotive manufacturing companies. In fact, Alabama is home to three manufacturing plants and their suppliers. This bumps up the state’s average wage, which is a factor in calculating this indicator. Also, in Alabama the largest single employer is the University of Alabama in Birmingham medical center and its associated hospitals, clinics, and school. These highly paid professions serve to increase the average wage which is not readily available to person without the credentials to obtain the types of jobs offered in this work setting.