Transcript Slide 1

Training Session #4
Linking & Leveraging for Success
MISSION
To ensure that youth with disabilities
are provided full access to high
quality services in integrated
settings in order to maximize their
opportunity for employment and
independent living
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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
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Center for Workforce
Development, the
Institute for Educational
Leadership
Disability Studies &
Services Center, the
Academy for
Educational
Development
National Conference of
State Legislatures
National Youth
Employment Coalition
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National Association of
Workforce Boards
National Center on
Secondary Education &
Transition, the
University of Minnesota
TransCen, Inc.
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND
RESOURCES
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How to Guides
Information and Policy Briefs
Backgrounders
Hot Topics Syntheses
Funding Sources
Training Materials
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
What You Will Find in this Training
Session
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Defining Linking and Leveraging
Importance of Linking and Leveraging
Barriers to Linking and Leveraging
Legislative support
Use of Intermediaries
Use of One-Stop Career Centers
Use of Resource Mapping
Resources/Handouts
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Definitions
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Linking and Leveraging is the collaboration at the
individual and systems level in pursuit of a common
purposes
Blended Funding: Funding which pools dollars from
multiple sources and makes them in some ways
indistinguishable.
Braided Funding: Similar to Blended Funding,
however, the funding sources remain visible while
they are used in common to produce greater
strength, efficiency, and/or effectiveness
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why is Linking and Leveraging
Important?
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To build a coherent thread or alignment between
missions, strategic planning and day-to-day
activities across organizations and agencies
To reduce the incidence of duplicative services
or failure to provide services at all
To develop partnerships that support a more
inclusive vision
To provide access to all community services and
supports for youth prior to leaving high school
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why is Linking and Leveraging
Important? (Continued)
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To address concerns over shrinking resources
To meet the needs of youth requiring access to
multiple agencies and sources of support
To develop intensive, direct, and overlapping
planning and service delivery systems
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why is Linking and Leveraging
Important? (Continued)
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To acknowledge problems are not being
addressed effectively by existing fragmented
and, discontinuous services
To consider the alteration of structures, policies
and rules in order to make service delivery
“seamless”
To establish interagency cooperation at the state
and local levels
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why is Linking and Leveraging
Important? (Continued)
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To develop mechanisms for information sharing,
communication, and coordination of services
and supports across agencies and audiences
To comprehensively improve employment
opportunities for persons with disabilities in the
workforce development system
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why is Linking and Leveraging
Important? (Continued)
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To shift the primary focus of interagency
collaboration from disability-specific services to
more generically available programs and
services
To reduce employer frustration with competing
initiatives to recruit, train, and place young
workers, and the myriad of services and
programs offered by the education and
workforce systems
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Barriers to Linking and
Leveraging
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Difficult past/present relationships among
agencies
Competition and “turf” issues
Personality conflicts
Differing organizational norms, values, and
ideologies
Lack of precedent
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Barriers to Linking and
Leveraging (continued)
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Lack of knowledge regarding each other’s
systems
Reluctance to bypass bureaucratic constraints
Limited financial resources
Differences in organizational size, structure and
staffing between schools and community
organizations
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Barriers to Linking and
Leveraging (continued)
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Different communication styles and values
across disciplines
Not understanding “how things are done” in
another system
Differences in the role and expectations of
leaders
Unwillingness to share power and resources with
partners
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Barriers to Linking and
Leveraging (continued)
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Youth and families often expect adult service
agencies/institutions to mirror the secondary
school system with which they are familiar
Each organization is structured to focus on its
own particular goals, priorities and
programmatic needs
Service gaps and duplication in services occur
as funding and eligibility sources vary
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Legislation/Initiatives Support Linking
and Leveraging
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IDEA stresses the need for collaboration on an
individual planning level and on an interagency
systems level
IDEA emphasizes creating access, participation,
and progress in the general curriculum for all
students
The New Freedom Initiative (2001) is a
comprehensive plan to reduce barriers to full
community integration for people with
disabilities
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Legislation Supports Linking and
Leveraging (continued)
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The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) creates a
comprehensive job training system that
consolidates a variety of federally funded
programs into an streamlined process allowing
individual to access job training and employment
services easily
Vocational Rehabilitation Act, part of WIA, links
State vocational rehabilitation programs and
workforce investment activities
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Ways to Link Services and Leverage
Resources
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Use of Intermediaries to facilitate the process
Use of One-Stop Career Centers
Conduct Resource Mapping
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
What are Intermediaries?
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An entity that brokers and streamlines
relationships among various community
agencies providing services and resources
An intermediary can be a single, organizational
entity, a newly created non-profit, or a
collaboration of several institutions in a
community
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Three Key Goals of
Workforce Intermediaries
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To bring workers into the American mainstream
To increase business efficiency and productivity
To enhance regional competitiveness
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Common Characteristics of
Intermediaries
Use a dual-customer approach- serving both
businesses seeking employees and job seekers
 Organize partners and funding streams around
common goals to improve labor market
outcomes
 Provide or broker labor market services by
understanding business needs
 Reduce turnover and increase economic worker
mobility
 Achieve results through innovation
 Catalyze improvements in public systems and
employment practices
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
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Activities of Intermediaries
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Engaging local leaders
Building a common vision across key
stakeholders
Generating public awareness and “buy-in”
Connecting youth to quality experiences
Providing communication links between partners
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Activities of Intermediaries
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Using data to improve performance and measure
success
Influencing programmatic, local, and state
policies
Connecting to and aligning with other systems
Generating resources
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Benefits of Intermediaries
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To assist employers to work effectively with
youth with disabilities
To provide employers with both specific
information about youth with disabilities, and
information about strategies that will help them
address training or supervision issues
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Benefits of Intermediaries
(Continued)
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To help build internal competence within
a business to support and accommodate
youth with disabilities
To match employers with workers, thus
contributing to the overall quality of the
future workforce
To be a mechanism by which educators
connect to the world outside the
classroom
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Benefits of Intermediaries
(Continued)
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To connect youth to quality work-based learning
experiences
To ensure the quality and impact of local efforts
To promote policies to sustain effective practices
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Functions of IntermediariesIntermediaries can help employers:
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Identify qualified pools of young people
Recruit and screen potential applicants based on
employer specifications
Design work-based learning experiences that
meet the needs of youth and employers
Provide effective workplace accommodations
and support services
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Functions of IntermediariesIntermediaries can help educators:
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Connect classroom learning with the workplace
Create and coordinate work-based learning
placemats
Create and deliver job-readiness activities
Connect to WIA Youth Councils
Provide mentoring and career-readiness training
for youth
Provide an ongoing venue for stakeholders to
dialogue and make decisions about youth
education and services
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Functions of IntermediariesIntermediaries can help youth with
disabilities:
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Develop realistic and positive career plans
Connect work-based learning experiences to
classroom learning
Arrange for course or academic credit when
possible
Receive effective workplace accommodations
and supports
Connect with postsecondary options, adult
mentors, and community-based supports
Find entry-level positions after high school
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Functions of IntermediariesIntermediaries can help communities:
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Prepare all youth for the workplace
Streamline youth service options and
requirements
Measure the impact of local policies and
practices on student learning and the workforce
Promote quality work-based learning activities to
enhance employer buy-in
Conduct outreach to other community
institutions and partners
Sustain dialogue between major players
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
What are One-Stop
Career Centers?
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Centers merge traditional employment and
training services in order to provide consolidated
programs
Fundamental changes in the service delivery
system
One-Stop system mandated by the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 calls for an
interactive, mutually beneficial relationship
between 17 partners (including VR) and the OneStop system
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Benefits of “One-Stop” Use
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Well-developed, collaborative WIA partnerships
allow all partners to benefit from each other’s
resources and expertise while fulfilling their own
vital roles
Educators, service providers, and employers can
expand their effectiveness by using the
resources of the One-Stop Centers and WIA
youth programs to augment current efforts to
assist youth career development
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Using One-Stop Career Centers to
Connect and Collaborate
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One-Stop systems can assist with the transition
process by:
Providing quality, universally accessible services
for all youth
Considering the needs of youth with disabilities
in the design and delivery of such services
Providing support and assistance as needed by
youth with disabilities as they use One-Stop
services
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Linking and Leveraging Activities at
the “One-Stop”
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Basic skill development
Vocational skill training and advanced
educational opportunities
Apprenticeship and entrepreneurial training
Transportation to employment and training sites
Vocational rehabilitation services
Program navigators
Benefit planning
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Activities for Establishing Partnerships
within the “One-Stop” System
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Developing MOUs and Cooperative Agreements
between mandated and non-mandated partners,
local and state Workforce Investment Boards
Co-locating staff from partner agencies within
the One-Stop Centers
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Activities for Establishing Partnerships
within the “One-Stop” System
(Continued)
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Creating relationships with nontraditional
agencies such as the local public housing
authority, mental health, and developmental
disability agencies that are identified through
resource mapping or other planning processes
Establishing an Employer Service Network
Creating disability work groups at the state and
local Workforce Investment Board levels
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
What is Resource Mapping?
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A methodology used to link community
resources with an agreed upon vision,
organizational goals, strategies, or expected
outcomes (Crane & Skinner, 2003)
Resource mapping can facilitate the
identification, alignment, and leveraging of
community resources to improve the
educational, employment, and developmental
needs of ALL youth
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why Use the Resource Mapping
Process?
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To understand how community builders and
education leaders can work together more
effectively and serve youth with disabilities more
efficiently (MORE THAN THESE 2 GRPS OF
STATE GOV’T FEVERAL EMPLOOYERS SERVICE
PROVIDES, ETC.
To use as a catalyst for joint planning and
professional development, resource and cost
sharing, and performance-based management of
programs and services
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Why Use the Resource Mapping
Process? (Continued)
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To focus on what communities have to offer by
identifying assets and resources that can be
used for building a system
To focus holistically on the individual
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Three Principles of
Resource Mapping
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Mapping strategies focus on what is already
present in the community. They build on the
strengths within the community
Mapping is relationship-driven. Key to mapping
efforts is the development of partnerships
Mapping embraces the notion that to realize a
vision and meet goals, a community may have
to work across programmatic and geographic
boundaries
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Potential Results of
Resource Mapping
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Helps to identify new resources to develop,
enhance, and sustain goals
Determines whether existing resources are being
used effectively to achieve expected outcomes
Improves alignment and coordination of
resources
Enhances coordination and collaboration among
stakeholders with relevant resources
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Potential Results of Resource Mapping
(Continued)
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Supports the development of new policies and
legislation to better meet goals and objectives
Helps staff develop new projects or programs
Helps an organization think about its interactions
with other community-based organizations
Provides new source for volunteers, board
members or referrals to programs
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Potential Results of Resource Mapping
(Continued)
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Gives a comprehensive picture of the community
when combined with other data
Provides insight into an organization’s strategic
planning process
Orients new staff to the organization’s structure
and programs
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Potential Results of Resource Mapping
(Continued)
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Helps staff realize that their work is part of a
greater community of organizations and
individuals working together for community
building
Acknowledges that individuals, organizations
and local institutions all have the capacity to
create real change in their community
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
Contact
NCWD/Youth
1-877-871-0744 (toll free)
1-877-871-0665 (TTY toll free)
www.ncwd-youth.info
www.highschoolhightech.net
[email protected]
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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment
ANY QUESTIONS????
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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth -- Making the Connection between Youth with Disabilities & Employment