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EARN

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion

States of Opportunity

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The diagram is an infographic with the title: States as Model Employers of People with Disabilities. States as employers can have a major impact on the employment rate of people with disabilities. Heading: States are LARGE employers: Underneath this text heading are 4 rectangles. Along the left side of the 4 rectangles is the text: People Employed. The first rectangle has a female figure in yellow inside a large red rectangle. It shows that 19 million people are employed by State & Local Government. The next rectangle is a little smaller and has a dark blue figure of a male inside a light blue rectangle. It shows that 17 million people are employed in Healthcare and Social Assistance. The third rectangle is a little smaller than the second rectangle; it has a dark blue female figure inside a light blue rectangle. It shows that 12 million people work in Manufacturing. The last rectangle is the smallest. It has a dark blue male figure inside a light blue rectangle. It shows that 5.5 million people work in Construction. The next diagram is illustrated in a triangle divided into three sections. The heading over this triangle is: Building Blocks of States as Model Employers. The top third of the triangle in yellow is labeled POLICY and LEADERSHIP. Outside of this triangle, it states: Evaluation and Adjustment Programs, Measuring Goals for Accountability, and Forming Partnerships with VR and Hiring Agencies. The lower left third of the triangle in orange is labeled HR PRACTICES. Outside this section, it states: Early Intervention and Return to Work; Fast Track Hiring; and Internships and Job Shadowing. The lower right third of the triangle in red is labeled EDUCATION and AWARENESS. Outside this section, it states Disability Diversity Training, and Website Accessibility. Source: Krepcio, K., Barnett, S. (2013). States as model employers of people with disabilities: A comprehensive review of politics, practices and strategies. Employer Assistance and Resource Network. http://www.askearn.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/StateModel.pdf. The bottom of this infographic shows the web link: www.askearn.org/same
States as Model Employers Infographic

By Kathy Krepcio Executive Director, Disability Employment, Research Design, Workforce Policy at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development Earlier this month, the nation celebrated Labor Day, a national holiday designed to pay tribute to the contributions and achievement of American workers. As many of us know, work is an important part of our lives. It’s not only a source of income and economic support, it also provides daily structure and focus; makes life meaningful; offers an outlet for acquiring, developing, and mastering skills and knowledge; and for building social relationships. Americans work in all kinds of job settings, sometimes for themselves, and for all types of employers—large, small, private companies, and public agencies. While a very large portion work in the private sector, more than 19 million Americans work in some type of full- and part-time public-sector job, and more than 5 million work in non-education state government positions. In many communities across the United States, particularly in rural areas, the public sector is still one of the largest employers—equal or larger in size to such industries as construction and information technology. For individuals with disabilities residing in communities where public-sector jobs are an important part of the local and state economy, several governors are opening doors by developing stronger policies and strategic practices with a focused goal of improving the recruitment, hiring, retention, and advancement of individuals with disabilities into state agencies. As noted by Governor Markell of Delaware in his National Governors Association Blueprint for Governors, A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities, states have heard from business that they are more likely to hire jobseekers with disabilities if state government leads the way in their own policies and practices. And some state governments are doing just that—looking to increase the number of people into state government by adopting a number of practices that will open up greater opportunities for employment in a wide variety of state agencies and positions. Practices that states are using to advance opportunities come in many forms, from creating better education and awareness among hiring managers and retooling human resources’ practices, to providing leadership by setting hiring goals and tracking progress. Whatever tools, practices, and strategies that states choose to use to match their unique circumstances and hiring environments, they all offer a chance to help state agencies find skilled workers while providing jobseekers with disabilities access to good jobs in their local communities. Click here to read the full report.