GWDC Disability Employment Workgroup Draft Policy Recommendations Steve Ditschler and Jon Thompson, Co-Chairs GWDC Quarterly Meeting May 13, 2010

2 Workgroup Charge Charge: to propose legislative and non- legislative policy changes that will: – Lead to increased employment for persons with disabilities, – Increase access to training and education, – Bring disability employment issues into the mainstream. Further aim: to focus on changes that can realistically be made in the near term.

3 Policy Areas and Guiding Themes Policy Areas: – WorkForce Center Accessibility – The State of MN as a Model Employer – Tracking Employment Outcomes Guiding Themes: – Accountability: How are we doing? – Removing Barriers to Employment and Training – Increasing Incentives for Employing People with Disabilities

4 Policy Area: WorkForce Center Accessibility Issue: Ensuring the enforcement of legal standards on accessibility (broadly defined) across Minnesota’s many WorkForce Centers. Recommendations: 1.Strengthening DEED’s certification and recertification processes. 2.Training all staff on accessibility and working with people with disabilities. 3.Increased accountability and feedback.

5 Policy Area: The State as a Model Employer The Issue: Ensuring that the State of Minnesota is a leading employer of people with disabilities. Recommendations: 1.Setting goals for employing people with disabilities, developing plans, and reporting on progress 2.Removing various barriers to employment 3.Expanding opportunities for state employment for people with disabilities Chart

6 Policy Area: Tracking Employment Outcomes The Issue: While lots of money is spent on education and training, we know little about employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Recommendations: 1.Collecting employment data for people with disabilities consistently across all relevant state agencies and programs to create a statewide picture of “how we’re doing” 2.Defining “competitive employment” consistently across all relevant state agenciescompetitive employment

7 In Conclusion We hope to narrow our recommendations to a handful that are most likely to have an impact. We’d love your feedback. Many workgroup members have volunteered to help advocate for and implement our recommendations.

8 Thank You! Questions?

9 Definition: Competitive Employment State Rule , subd. 9: "Competitive employment" means work in the competitive labor market that is performed on a full- time or part-time basis in an integrated setting; and for which an individual is compensated at or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals who are not disabled. Back

10 State of MN Executive Branch Employment Percent Change in State Employees, Total+0.05% Employees with Disabilities-11.27% Back