2011 USBLN Conference1 Moving Talent to the Marketplace – Today and Beyond USBLN 2011

2011 USBLN Conference2 Moving Talent to the Marketplace Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, The National Employment Team Cassandra Shoffler, Management and Program Analyst, Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education Jim Kraemer, Master Inventor, IBM Research’s Human Abilities and Accessibility Center Beth Butler, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

2011 USBLN Conference3 The National Employment Team (NET) Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) Membership organization of VR Directors 80 agencies 25,000 staff Serve one million people with disabilities Partnered with the VA-VR&E, AIR –Largest talent pool of people with disabilities in the country –Backed by the support services of VR and 10,000 community partners Return on Investment

2011 USBLN Conference4 Creating the National Employment Team - We Asked Our Business Customers National in Scope Dual Customer Model Business as Customer Customer Driven Network VR as One Company Easily Accessible Network: work with the national VR network through a single point of contact –VR Points of Contact –VR Systems: Veterans VR&E, AIR –Community Partners Leveraging the Strengths of a National System Through Delivery at the Local Level

2011 USBLN Conference5 Invest in the Relationship: The Bottom Line for Business Customers The foundation of The NET is built on: –Trust –Responsiveness –Deliverability –Consistency –Quality –Sustainability AND Supported by Leadership

2011 USBLN Conference6 The NET: A Customer Driven Approach Understand the business customers needs and values. What are they asking for? Develop the relationship for the long-term Build the trust The bottom line – DELIVER WHAT YOU COMMIT TO

2011 USBLN Conference7 The NET: Vision Statement To create a “one company” model to serve business customers through a national VR team that specializes in employer development, business consulting and corporate relations.

2011 USBLN Conference8 The NET: Benefits by Customer Category Business will have direct access to the qualified candidates and support services provided by VR agencies and their community partners on a national basis. VR consumers will have access to career development resources, “real time” employer input and national employment opportunities. State VR agencies will have a national system for sharing employment resources, best practices and business connections. 8

2011 USBLN Conference9 The NET: No Cost Services Defined by our Business Customers Pre-Employment Internships Training HR/Staffing Recruitment & Promotion Benefits & Compensation Retention Supports Employee Advisory Services Accommodations Work Site Assessment Assistive Technology Staff Training Disability Awareness ADA/Employment Laws Diversity Programs EEOC/Affirmative Action Federal Contractors Universal Design Contracts Facilities Programs/Services Assistive Technology Information Technology Financial Supports WOTC Barrier Removal Legal & Compliance Labor Relations Policy Development Risk Management Product Development Customer Service Marketing & Outreach

2011 USBLN Conference10 Rehabilitation Services Administration: RSA RSA/ U.S. Department of Education The RSA Mission Data and Outcomes Employer Incentives Innovative Practices

2011 USBLN Conference11 Highlights of this past year Americans with Disabilities Act President’s Executive Order “Increase Federal Employment of Persons with Disabilities” Project Search State Collaborative/Innovative Models National Disability Awareness Month Future Directions

2011 USBLN Conference12 Websites CSAVR/NET: RSA: View contact information and published data about any state View resource, promising practices and success stories. View Publications and general information

2011 USBLN Conference13 Electronic Recruitment: Challenges and Opportunities 1.States want to decrease unemployment payments 2.States starting to use electronic job placement websites to speed the placement process 3.No website registration, no unemployment or job training 4.Required job boards are often inaccessible

2011 USBLN Conference14 Electronic Recruitment: Challenges and Opportunities 5. Persons with disability are locked out by technology, not lack of employable skills. 6. State vocational rehabilitation departments lack the technical skill to test job websites 7. Audit of job websites would document noncompliance with Section 508 and Companies also depend on websites to meet 503 requirements 9. Must act promptly before inaccessible websites are embedded in the state employment processes.

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2011 USBLN Conference16 “ I want to work somewhere with a lot of different people.” Said a 6 year old son of a Lowe’s employee, following a family day event. Veronica Hernandez, Night Shift - HR Coach

2011 USBLN Conference17 “Building Something Together” USBLN/NET CSAVR –NET Commitment Businesses Engaged 2004 CSAVR National Employment Conference

2011 USBLN Conference18 A PARTNERSHIP THAT PROSPERS CSAVR’S -NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT TEAM ACCESS TO LARGEST TALENT POOL IN U.S. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT – READY TO SERVE CONSISTENT SUPPORT OF STATE DIRECTORS CERTIFIED VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS; REHABILITATION ENGINEERS; ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS

2011 USBLN Conference19 NET/VR: Services for Business Customers –Pre-employment –Recruitment –Staff Training –Diversity –Retention –Consulting, technical assistance and support –Financial Supports –Employee Assistance SouthTrust Wachovia Wells Fargo Lowe’s Companies, Inc –Stores, DCs, CSC –New Federal Contractor –Outreach Programs –MOU with CSAVR-NET

2011 USBLN Conference20 Contact Information for Panel Kathy West-Evans Cassandra Shoffler Jim Kraemer Beth Butler