Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work

Volume 6, Number 3
June 2009

Welcome to Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work, the electronic newsletter of the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth). The newsletter and the NCWD/Youth website offer information to improve programs and services for all youth and especially youth with disabilities.

IMPORTANT: In order to ensure the delivery of our publication to your inbox, please add our e-mail address, intersection@ncwd-youth.info, to your address book and/or whitelist.

Disability Unemployment and Employment Participation Statistics Released

Office of Disability Employment Policy

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the May 2009 disability unemployment rate is 13.7 percent compared to 8.9 percent for the general population. The percent of people with disabilities in the labor force is 22.9 percent compared to 71.1 percent for the general population.

Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted.  Seasonally adjusted numbers are not yet available for disability specific statistics from BLS because the statistics are still too new.

Table of Data Displayed in Charts Above: Data Not Seasonally Adjusted
	Unemployment Rate		Population in Labor Force
Month	People with disabilities	General Population	People with disabilities	General Population
October-08	11.1	5.9	23.1	71.7
November-08	11.1	6.3	23.1	71.4
December-08	12.3	6.9	23	71.2
January-09	13.2	8.3	23.1	70.8
February-09	14	8.7	23	70.9
March-09	13.1	8.9	22.8	70.9
April-09	12.9	8.4	22.8	70.9
May-09	13.7	8.9	22.9	71.1

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NCWD/Youth Releases InfoBrief on Youth with Mental Health Needs

Successful Transition Models for Youth with Mental Health Needs: A Guide for Workforce Professionals

This InfoBrief describes systems’ service barriers faced by youth with mental health needs as they reach adulthood, while highlighting new models and strategies designed to break down those barriers and help them to transition successfully into the workplace.

This InfoBrief is based on NCWD/Youth’s publication Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living .

NCWD/Youth Releases InfoBrief on Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities: What Families and Advocates Need to Know

This InfoBrief, explores the importance of making informed decisions about diploma options, of understanding the consequences of graduating with different types of diplomas, and the need for youth, families, and Individual Education Program (IEP) teams to consider these issues early.

U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy Announces Solicitation for Grant Applications

Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Initiative

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship announce the availability of approximately $400,000 to fund two Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities cooperative agreements. Under this initiative, the grantees will conduct two pilot projects to develop models to improve systems capacity to provide inclusive Registered Apprenticeship training and pre-apprenticeship training to youth and young adults with disabilities ages 16 to 27 utilizing the increased flexibilities detailed in DOL’s newly released apprenticeship regulations.

U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and Employment and Training Administration Release Report on Asset Development

Creating a Roadmap out of Poverty for Americans with Disabilities: A Report on the Relationship of the Employment and Training Administration's Workforce Development System and Local Asset-Building Coalitions.

DOL's Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy released a new report on asset development. This white paper is an example of ODEP's research into best practices in asset development. It focuses on three cities: Detroit, Jacksonville, and Milwaukee and the tie-in between the workforce development system and advancing self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Plan for Spending WIA ARRA Youth Dollars

Workforce Investment Act - Youth Activities Recovery Plan

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth program serves low-income in- and out-of-school youth, including youth with disabilities, basic skills deficient youth, youth offenders, homeless and runaway youth, and other youth who may require specialized assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment. The WIA Youth program provides paid and unpaid work experience, which increases placements in employment and educational attainments for youth. In doing so, low-income youth will have a greater likelihood of long-term labor market attachment, higher lifetime earnings and a lower likelihood for support under public assistance programs. The Department of Labor has posted its plan for spending Recovery Act dollars on the Recovery.gov website.

The Institute for Educational Leadership Seeks Applicants for Education Policy Fellowship Program

EPFP Website

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is now recruiting participants for its Education Policy Fellowship Program, a nine-month professional development program for individuals whose work record reflects strong leadership abilities or potential and a concern for improving the life chances of children and youth. IEL runs sites in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Applicants for the D.C.-area site are due by August 28.

Partner’s Highlight

IEL in the News

The American Federation of Teachers professional journal, American Educator’s recently published their latest issue, Surrounded by Support, which spotlights community schools.  Contributing authors, many IEL staff, assert that coordinated partnerships between communities and schools are key to offering services to youth, families, and communities.

Michigan Transition for the 21^st Century

Michigan has launched their MT-21 (Michigan Transition for the 21^st Century) initiative to build a working base of knowledge and promising practices that will be transferred into the rehabilitation process for transition services. The project’s goal is to provide a systematic, comprehensive, and evidence-based approach to working with transitioning youth.  This initiative is a collaboration between Michigan Rehabilitative Services, Michigan Commission for the Blind, and the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth.

As Michigan rolls out the MT-21 initiative they are utilizing NCWD/Youth’s Guideposts for Success as the navigating tool for collecting, analyzing, and reporting quantitative and qualitative data as well as proving a common language.

TATRA Project Gives First Award for Excellence

PACER Center’s TATRA Project (Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act) has presented its first Award for Excellence in Transition-focused Parent Training. The winner, the New Hampshire Parent Information Center’s “Life After High School Transition Tool Kit”, was announced at the 2009 annual TATRA conference held recently at PACER Center in Bloomington, Minn. The winning resource can be viewed at www.pacer.org/tatra/2009Award.pdf .

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities Updates IDEA and IEP Information

NICHCY Website

NICHCY has maintained a core of key publications for many years, updating them every time our nation's special education law is reauthorized or significant changes occur in the field. NICHCY has recently updated their content around the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Individualized Education Program (IEP).