Transcript Slide 1

The Governor’s Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities (GCEPD)
GCEPD’s Mission
GCEPD’s Mission
Promote the employment of people with disabilities
GCEPD’s Mission
Produce and provide an environment that
strives to include and integrate people with
disabilities into the workforce
GCEPD’s Mission
Promote and establish initiatives designed to
highlight the benefits of employing people with
disabilities
GCEPD’s Current Initiatives
GCEPD’s Current Initiatives
Provide education and awareness on the benefits of
hiring qualified candidates with disabilities
GCEPD’s Current Initiatives
Promote and support the activities of local
communities throughout the state to enhance the
employment of persons with disabilities
GCEPD’s Current Initiatives
Maintain a website of disability resources for both
employers and job seekers
Hiring People with
Disabilities
Reasons why employers say they don’t hire people with disabilities

66% - Lack of qualified candidates

39% - Not sure how to find qualified candidates
Employment of Americans With Disabilities 2010 Survey
How do Companies Currently Recruit Individuals
with Disabilities?

Employee referrals - 70%

Friends or word-of-mouth referrals - 62%

Online job boards - 58%

Non-Profits - 40%

State or federal agencies - 39%

Educational or training institutions - 36%

Temp agencies - 31%

Independent or Private recruiters – 20%
How Can Employers Find Qualified
Employees with Disabilities?
Post your jobs in CT DOL’s job bank
• CT JobCentral
Contact one of the following State Agencies
• Department of Labor
• Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
• Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
• Board of Education and Services for the Blind
• Department of Veterans Affairs
•
Department of Mental Health/Addition Services
How Can Employers Find Qualified
Employees with Disabilities?
(continued)
Recruit Recent College Graduates
Recruit Recent College Graduates
Workforce Recruitment Program
In collaboration with the Office of
Disability Employment Policy,
U.S. DOL, EARN administers the
Workforce Recruitment Program
(WRP).
Workforce Recruitment Program
WRP connects private employers and
government agencies to a database of +2,000
pre-screened, qualified college students and
recent grads with disabilities seeking summer
internships or permanent employment.
Workforce Recruitment Program
Participants come from + 200 U.S.
colleges and are selected for the
program by professional recruiters
following an extensive application and
interview process.
Contact the Career Development
Center at local colleges.
Hiring Individuals with Disabilities Makes
Good Business Sense
Strong human capital strategies to maintain
your competitive edge
 Expand your talent pool by recruiting
candidates with disabilities
 Gain access to a skilled and valued
workforce
 Enhance diversity of your workforce with
employees with disabilities
 Retain the skills and knowledge of
employees who acquire disabilities
Hiring Individuals with Disabilities Makes
Good Business Sense
Lower labor costs by leveraging tax benefits
Business Tax Credits and Deductions
The IRS provides:
Information and appropriate forms for small
businesses to get a tax credit and a tax deduction for all
businesses.
The form that employers must complete when filing
for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
For more info call: 1-800-829-1040
Capitalize on New Market Opportunities
 Mirror the market to attract a wider
customer base.
 Increase your market share.
Myths vs. Facts
Myth
Providing accommodations
for people with disabilities is
expensive.
Fact
% of Employers reported that:
73% - Their employees with
disabilities required no
accommodation at all.
50% - Accommodations were
made at no cost.
42% - A one time
accommodation cost less than
$600.
Myths vs. Facts
Myth
Fact
Employees with disabilities
do not stay in jobs long.
Employers reported that
employees with disabilities
have better retention rates,
thereby reducing the high
cost of turnover.
Myths vs. Facts
Myth
Fact
Employees with disabilities
have poor attendance.
Employers reported that
employees with disabilities
have the same absenteeism
rate as employees without
disabilities.
Additional Disability Resources
 Connect-Ability - a statewide grant whose purpose
is to identify and remove barriers to employment
faced by people with disabilities. Connect-Ability
provides tools and technical assistance to employers.
 CT BLN - The Connecticut Business Leadership
Network is a growing coalition of CT employers that
are working together to increase employment
opportunities for people with disabilities.
 CTYLP - The Connecticut Youth Leadership Project is
a program designed to help youth with disabilities
realize their leadership potential.
Additional Disability Resources
JAN - The Job Accommodation Network offers
employers free, expert and confidential one-on-one
guidance on workplace accommodations and disability
employment issues.
NEAT - Located in Hartford, New England Assistive
Technology provides information, services, equipment
and devices to persons with disabilities.
EARN - The Employer Assistance and Resource
Network is a national organization that supports
employers in recruiting, hiring, and retaining
employees with disabilities through free consultation,
technical assistance, and customized training.
The Governor’s Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities
Contact Us:
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(860) 263-6067
http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/gendocs/GCEPD/t-GCEPD.htm