WISC-TV Editorial about WorksourceWI.com

 

Mission

WorkSource Wisconsin will provide Wisconsin employers, and other key stakeholders, access to information regarding the employment of individuals with disabilities. In so doing, it will serve to respond to the creation and provision of effective and practical technical assistance and accessible, on-going supports for employers who might be interested in or already successfully employ and accommodate people with disabilities.

Justification for Project

Although services for job seekers with disabilities have strengthened in recent years, services designed specifically for employers continue to be an issue requiring special attention. Although work has been done at the national level to identify the needs of employers as they recruit, hire, and maintain employees with disabilities, much of this has not been adopted at the state and local levels. In Wisconsin, the Business Leadership Network (BLN) continues to exist locally in certain areas of the state, but a statewide network of information and resources for employers is currently lacking.

Project Overview & Objectives

WorkSource Wisconsin is being developed as a ‘resource for employers by employers’ to provide easy access to the information necessary to actively recruit, hire, and retain employees with disabilities.  The Center will offer a significant number of services to businesses in Wisconsin by utilizing:

Ø      A targeted regional inputting mechanism to identify locally specific needs of under-represented businesses

Ø      Input from a state-wide, cross-section of employers in Wisconsin including employers of varying sizes, geographic locations and industries

Ø      A collaborative statewide training and technical assistance approach

The Center will be designed around an interactive web-based repository of employer specific information and resources as well as technical supports that will assist businesses with service referrals.  It will include information and services from a variety of high quality sources including the following components:

Ø      A professional, accessible, and business-friendly website

Ø      1-800 Phone Number with direct access to an Employment Resource Specialist

Ø      Free or low cost statewide trainings in a variety of employment-related topical areas

Ø      Free technical assistance available to employers

 

Project Leadership

The Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI) is partnering with the Department of Health and Family Services-Pathways Projects*, employers and other collaborators in order to build upon the strengths of each partner as well as develop a longer term strategy for sustainability.  There are two primary committees that provide direction and input to the project:

Ø      Employer Committee: The Advisory Committee will be comprised of a large group of employers comprised of persons with specific expertise that will help inform the development and implementation of specific activities and outcomes of the WorkSource Wisconsin. This committee will focus on meeting the business community’s needs involved in the employment of people of disabilities.  Members from this committee will serve to input on specific project services based on each members’ expertise and interests.

 

Ø      Agency Affiliate Committee : The Agency Affiliates Committee is designed to serve to provide information regarding disability program services and systems change group led by the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute in the development and implementation of the WorkSource Wisconsin. This committee includes broad representation of targeted employment and disability program professionals from across the state. These employment-based agency liaisons will be responsible for providing input to project staff regarding disability information and services in the achievement of project objectives.