Designing Career-Based Learning
In this section, workforce development staff will learn how to provide diverse, job-driven training opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including work-based training approaches such as on-the-job training, summer youth employment, Registered Apprenticeships, internships, and other paid work experience. Increasing participation in career pathways systems and career-based learning will equip individuals with multiple barriers to employment with the skills, competencies, and credentials necessary to help them obtain in-demand jobs, increase earnings, and advance their careers.
FAQs
What are some strategies to support justice-involved individuals with multiple barriers to employment so they experience seamless customer service across WIOA programs?
- Learn about strategies American Job Centers can use to help justice-involved individuals with disabilities find and retain employment.
What resources support entrepreneurship as a service strategy through the American Job Center?
- The resources found on the WorkforceGPS Entrepreneurship page help youth and adults gain the self-employment skills necessary to work as an entrepreneur.
How can we design our work-based learning experiences so that they are inclusive of job seekers with disabilities?
Learn how community colleges develop and provide inclusive work-based learning experiences to prepare students with disabilities to join the workforce.
Resources
Disability Disclosure for Returning Citizens with Disabilities: This quick reference guide includes strategies for American Job Center staff in helping justice-involved citizens with disabilities self-disclose in order to receive the resources and reasonable accommodations they need to find and retain employment.
Maryland - Increasing Access for Individuals with Significant Disabilities: This best practice highlights Maryland’s inclusive practices for individuals with Intellectual/Developmental disabilities in every activity within the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I program.
Entrepreneurship hub for people with disabilities: This site includes self-employment support for people with disabilities including business planning, financing strategies, marketing research, disability-specific programs, and small business initiatives for disabled veterans. You can also visit the Entrepreneurship Microsite (select information by role “For Individuals” and then “Entrepreneurship”).
Resources to Support Entrepreneurship: This page highlights WorkforceGPS resources that amplify entrepreneurship as a service strategy. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allows local workforce systems to support youth and adults gain the entrepreneurial skills necessary to engage in work as an entrepreneur.
Inclusive Community College Career Pathways: Work-Based Learning: This blog discusses how the Pathways to Careers community college grantees developed and provided work-based learning experiences to prepare students with disabilities to join the workforce. It includes a few examples of state work-based learning programs offered in a college setting.
Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship: This project highlights collaboration between employers and apprenticeship intermediary organizations to design inclusive apprenticeship programs that meet employer talent needs and enable people with disabilities to gain credentials and skills to succeed in growing industries.
- Designing Inclusive Apprenticeships - A Guide for Recruiting & Training Apprentices with Disabilities: This guide provides tools to help recruit people with disabilities to join an apprenticeship program, seek information on best practices to launch an inclusive apprenticeship program, and search for best practices to make a program more accessible.
Apprenticeship Works for Inclusion: A Guide to Helping People with Disabilities Explore Inclusive Career Pathways: This guide introduces educators and service providers to the benefits and opportunities of inclusive apprenticeships.
California - Registered Apprenticeship: A Promising Practice: This best practice highlights a partnership between a local American Job Center and a training provider in Commercial Driver’s License in truck driving to support people with disabilities and employers in Registered Apprenticeship.
Career Pathways Toolkit: An Enhanced Guide and Workbook for System Development: This toolkit features resources on the six key elements of career pathways. Each element includes embedded – and fillable – worksheets to help state and local teams with implementation and can be downloaded as separate documents.
Massachusetts - Career Pathway Pilot for Individuals with Disabilities: This best practice highlights a partnership between an American Job Center and a local healthcare facility and community college to support individuals with disabilities gain skills, which later resulted in a strong track record of finding employment.
Disability Employment Initiative and Career Pathways Series: This three part learning opportunity provides examples of how Disability Employment Initiative grantees used strategic service delivery strategies to create inclusive career pathways.