Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
__________
[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- g. Coordination with Employers
Describe how the designated State unit will work with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities in order to facilitate the provision of:
- g. Coordination with Employers
g. 1. VR Services; and
Current Narrative:
Coordination with Employers
Under the interagency cooperative agreement referenced above, the FDBS’ coordination with employers is part of a range of activities that include: Developing a long-term communications plan to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities by 1) motivating employers to hire, 2) promoting a consistent message of awareness among employers about the value individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce, and 3) informing employers about the resources that are available to assist with their hiring needs.
As part of a collaborative effort with the statewide workforce systems, the Division Director serves on the statewide workforce board and district administrators collaborate with their local boards during visits to workforce centers and other venues. The following strategies are designed to increase partnerships with the statewide workforce investment system and employers in the state of Florida.
- Work with businesses/employers to encourage sponsorship of registered apprenticeship programs
- Increase utilization of online job systems/portals to expose employers to consumers who are ready for employment
- Develop and strengthen employer relationships by providing employer training, support, education, and resources
- Develop mechanisms to maximize job placement effectiveness among FDBS Employment Placement Specialists and contracted service providers
- Create training methods to better integrate individuals with disabilities into the workforce
- Collaborate efforts between multiple agencies and organizations to achieve the intent of the Employment First Act
- Promote service innovation
- Identify baseline employment outcome data for individuals with disabilities and set targets for improvement
The Division plans to utilize and implement these strategies to foster equal access for clients, increase the number of employers hiring clients, generate program awareness, and strengthened infrastructure.