Summary Information on 3rd Year of the Disability Employment Grantees
Summary
Information on 3rd Year of the Disability Employment Grantees
Epilepsy
Foundation
Landover, Maryland
Locations:Texas - Houston; Florida - Miami; Alabama – Mobile; New Jersey - Trenton.
Funding:$301,598performance period – 7/01/2004 – 6/30/2005
The
Epilepsy Foundation’s Project, “JobTech2,” which builds on a similar program, JobTech, also funded by ETA, trains people with epilepsy in
technology skills and helps them find good jobs in this field. Job Tech2
operates through four Epilepsy Foundation sites in: Southeast Texas, South Florida, South Alabama and New Jersey. These affiliate sites work
with the local One-Stops and their network of program partners to provide
training and supportive services. Outreach to employers and educating
them on recommendations for service coordination, ADA and workplace accommodations, and
safety issues is key to this project.Participants benefit from case management, the
opportunity for neuropsychological and functional assessments, career exploration
opportunities, job search support, job placement, and individual follow-up and retention
services.
Goodwill Industries
International, Inc.
Bethesda, Maryland
Locations:Florida – West Palm Beach; California – Los Angeles; Michigan – Muskegon; Georgia – Macon.
Funding:$302,943performance period – 7/01/2004 – 6/30/2005
To improve
employment in technology for jobseekers with disabilities, Goodwill selected
four sites from 40 Goodwill contenders:West Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Muskegon, Michigan and Macon, Georgia. Each site focuses on customized
support for adaptive and training needs, coordinated providers in overlapping
services to streamline delivery, and training in partnership with local
employers, to facilitate placing people in previously identified jobs.The integrated One-Stop centers are critical
in providing support services. Goodwill has linked with Faith-based
organizations and programs including Benefits Planning, Outreach, and
Assistance (BPOA) to help with training and services.In Los Angeles, training and employer partners focus
on call center operation as well as software certification. In Macon, GEICO, the local public school
system, and others are offering internships and participating in training.Further, because Macon businesses cite a lack of IT
customer service skills, participants are specifically trained in this
component.In Muskegon, plastics industry employers are
serving as training sites, while the West Palm Beach project collaborates with
Partners in Vocational Rehabilitation as well as with Bank of America.
Experience Works (Green
Thumb), Inc.
Arlington, Virginia
Location:Pennsylvania – Lycoming and BlairCounties; Massachusetts – Worcester, Middlesex, Norfolk and EssexCounties.
Funding:$158,508performance
period – 7/01/2004 – 6/30/2005
The
project targets workers aged 40 and older with disabilities, including
dislocated workers, Hispanic and Asian minorities, SSI and SSDI recipients and
individuals with mental disabilities.The program combines support services with innovative state-of-the-art
training techniques and intensive job placement/job retention services to
provide increased access to IT jobs. Assistive technology is also provided as
needed.Each participant’s training is based on an individualized employment plan
including resources and services needed for successful employment.
