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Disability
and Employment - Vocational Rehabilitation: Where Partners Create
Careers - Strategies provided on the following topic:
Strategy: The
Manpower - VR Partnership: A Bridge to Successful Employment
Presenters : Teresa A Holmes, Employment
Development Coordinator, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Service;
Branca Minic, Director of Workforce
Development, Manpower, Inc
Contact: P O Box 698, Dothan, AL 36302
Phone: (334) 792 0022
Fax: (334) 792 1783
thomes@rehab.state.al.us
Facilitator: William Schubauer
The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation
Services (ADRS) and Manpower Inc. have a longstanding partnership dating
back to 1992. This partnership is customer oriented and was developed
out of the need to keep up with the changing business climate. The
relationship began as qualified workers with disabilities were referred
to the Dothan AL Manpower office for placement with local employers.
The scope of services had since expanded
to include the purchase of Manpower assessment and training programs to
enable ADRS consumers to become better trained for the workforce. As a
result of the partnership numerous individuals with disabilities with a
wide variety of disabilities have obtained employment, become
independent and contribute as taxpayers to their local economy. The
benefits of this partnership for ADRS include:
- Non-discriminatory approach to
placement of individuals with disabilities.
Manpower looks at what a person can do and not, what they cannot do.
If a person’s skill need to be upgraded or developed in a particular
area they will make recommendations for training.
- Opportunity for consumers to prove
themselves to the company. Many of these placements start our as
temporary assignment and end up as permanent placements.
- The on-site supervisor/coordinator
from Manpower often times serves as a mentor for the ADRS consumer and
is considered a direct line of communication for the Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselor/Placement Staff.
Manpower has become a valuable resource
for Training for the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. They
provide short-term skills training for basic clerical and computer
software. In addition, consumers can upgrade basic computer skills to
intermediate/advanced levels. Online computer training for
professional/technical level jobs is also utilized for ADRS consumers
through the Manpower Global Learning Center GLC.
The Assessment and testing services
purchased through Manpower has assisted the ADRS Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselors in determining vocational goals for consumers.
In addition, the consumer’s level of competency is assessed in many
areas such as clerical, computer software and industrial type jobs. They
provide a written report with consumer’ scores as well as
recommendations for training to assist the consumer in becoming more
marketable. Because of the wide availability of offices across the state
these services are available to counselors in areas where other
resources are limited.
As a result of the success in
Dothan, AL area the Manpower/ADRS partnership was expanded throughout
the state. Local Manpower Office Staff made individual presentations to
each ADRS Office, which consisted of the Unit Supervisor and Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselors. The success of the statewide leveraging of
this partnership was presented at the Southeast Regional Employment
Conference in Atlanta in May of 2001. In the past year this partnership
has been replicated in many Southern states such as Florida, South
Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
Next
Strategy :
Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom: A
Partnership between VR and Employers to Create a Competitive Employment |