Transition To Employment: A Shared Responsibility

1. Transition To Employment: A Shared Responsibility Grossi- Indiana University Teresa Grossi. Ph.D., Director Center on Community Living and Careers Indiana Institute on Disability and Community Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47408 (812) 855-4070 tgrossi@indiana.edu www.iidc.iu.edu/cclc

2. Preparing Students for the Workforce? Grossi- Indiana University

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4. We Have to Know Where We are Going Before We Know If We Got There! Grossi- Indiana University

5. Backward Planning Grossi- Indiana University

6. A Good Job Match 1. What was the initial stated career goal (including job title, salary, hours, and benefits)? • Does this job fit with it? • If not, are these compromises the job seeker is willing to make? 2. What is the culture like at the potential place of employment? • Is this a culture that the job seeker wants and will fit in with? Grossi- Indiana University

7. A Good Job Match 3. Does the job seeker currently have the ability to do the job? • If not, what training is needed to help them get the skills? • How will they get this training? Condon, Fichera & Dreilinger (2003). Grossi- Indiana University

8. ENTER . . . . . THE BUSINESS WORLD Grossi- Indiana University

9. FACT OR MYTH Employees with disabilities are more likely to have job-related accidents than employees without disabilities. Grossi- Indiana University

10. FACT OR MYTH People with disabilities need to be protected from failure. Grossi- Indiana University

11. FACT OR MYTH Accommodating workers with disabilities is very expensive. Grossi- Indiana University

12. FACT OR MYTH Employees with disabilities are unable to meet performance standards. Grossi- Indiana University

13. FACT OR MYTH People with disabilities have problems getting to work. Grossi- Indiana University Zafft, Sezun& Jordon (2004)

14. Did You Know? People with disabilities represent the single largest and most diverse minority in the United States and are a major untapped source of qualified candidates for employment Grossi- Indiana University

15. Did You Know? That employers have not tapped into this workforce because they are unaware of the range of their skills and/or do not know how to identify the individuals as potential employees Grossi- Indiana University

16. Did You Know? People with disabilities have: • Equal or higher performance ratings compared to workers without disabilities • The lowest attrition rates of any employee group.  In other words, they get the job done, and they stay on the job Grossi- Indiana University

17. Did You Know? Three out of 10 individuals with disabilities are working full- or part-time, and two-thirdsof those who are not working would like to work (National Organization on Disability & Lou Harris and Associates, 2004) Grossi- Indiana University

18. Did You Know? • Only 18 percent of companies offer an education program aimed at integrating people with disabilities into the workplace • A majority of employers perceive the costs of hiring a person with a disability to be the same as hiring a person without a disability (62 percent) 2010 GAP Survey of Americans with Disabilities Grossi- Indiana University

19. Did You Know? U.S. Department of Labor (December 2011) is proposing a new rule that would require federal contractors and subcontractors to set a hiring goal of having 7 percent of their workforces be people with disabilities, among other requirements Grossi- Indiana University

20. A Little Math . . . . In Indiana that means. . . . • 7,896 companies are federal contractors • * Say these companies have an average of 100 employees (some less, some much more) • * That means over the next 5 years or so to come up to 7% - Indiana companies are going to have the goal of hiring 55,272 people with disabilities! • What does that means for Texas?? Grossi- Indiana University

21. Corporate Initiatives: Partnerships and Relationships Grossi- Indiana University

22. A Few Examples of Corporate Initiatives • Walgreens • Lowes Grossi- Indiana University

23. Tip from Walgreens . . . . • Our ideal candidates are customer focused, enjoy going the extra mile to provide a superior customer experience, take pride in their work and place a high value on the appearance of the store. Knowing what we look for in a potential employee will give you better insight to help your clients and help us fill our hiring needs. “Walgreens” Grossi- Indiana University

24. Example of Lowe’s Work with Schools and Adult Providers Grossi- Indiana University

25. Sample of Lowe’s Pre-Screening Required Orientation Prior to Application: • Applicant has appropriate vocational goal • Applicant has completed the virtual tour on Lowes Career website • Applicant has reviewed the Lowes Mission Statement, Values and History on Lowes Career website • Applicant has reviewed the job description for Lowes Distribution Center Team Member Grossi- Indiana University

26. Sample of Lowe’s Pre-Screening Required Orientation Prior to Application: • Applicant understands the physical nature of the work • Applicant has no sensitivity to loud noises, lights, smells associated with DC • Applicant has appropriate transportation plan in place • Applicants Work Readiness Screening Score • Applicant has signed and received Outreach Program Information/Release Grossi- Indiana University

27. Lowe’s Criminal History / Job Loss • If applicant has a criminal history, including any offenses or charges other than traffic violations, attached a detailed explanation of the date, nature and resolution of the charges. • If the applicant has ever been terminated from employment, attach a detailed explanation of the reason for termination, beginning and ending dates of employment and employer contact information. • If the applicant has ever left employment, attach a detailed explanation of the reason for leaving, beginning and ending dates of employment and employer contact information. Grossi- Indiana University

28. Lowes Work Evaluation GENERAL WORK SKILLS: • Staying on task/working hard • Gets all work done as assigned • Works at acceptable speed • Follows oral instructions • Follows written instructions • Lifting/Carrying ability Grossi- Indiana University

29. Evaluation WORK HABITS: • Attendance • Punctuality • Ask for clarification or help as needed • Judgment • Attention to detail Grossi- Indiana University

30. Evaluation WORK ATTITUDES: • Accepts criticism well • Responsibility/Dependability • Enthusiasm/Motivation Grossi- Indiana University

31. Evaluation (cont) PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: • Cleanliness/Hygiene • Appearance GETTTING ALONG WITH OTHERS: • With Supervisor • With Co-Workers • With Public • Positive and Friendly Personality Grossi- Indiana University

32. Trans-Cen, Inc. Survey Says: Employers value schools and providers that • Educate • Are knowledgeable (business need/supports) • Make frequent contact/follow-up (mutually agreed upon) • Gets to know the Company • Understand job requirements • Really know applicant’s abilities/strengths • Respond quickly

33. “Developing job opportunities for individuals with disabilities requires a significant degree of familiarity with the business community and a strong relationship with prospective employers. Cold calling techniques used in job development are not nearly as effective as working through established networks. Making connections with employers and developing strategies to create and expand community links is key to your success”. (Hoff, Gelder, Gold, & Marrone) Grossi- Indiana University

34. Resources for Employers • Job Accommodation Network- www.askjan.org • Employer Assistance and Resource Network- www.earnworks.com/businesscase Grossi- Indiana University

35. What Do Educators Have to Offer Employers? • A prepared workforce • Teaching and support strategies for a diverse workforce Grossi- Indiana University

36. Our Challenge • To capture the information in a variety of school and community settings • To capture the essential information that will be beneficial to the student and adult service provider to make a good job match and/or selection. • Compile the information in a usable format • Use the information for job match Grossi- Indiana University

37. Our Challenge • To raise our expectations for all students Grossi- Indiana University

38. Expectations In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush referred to "the soft bigotry of low expectations" as one of the challenges faced by disadvantaged and minority students.

39. The Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon people, often students and employees, the better they perform.

40. Teacher Expectation Research 4 General Factors: • Socio-emotional Climate • Verbal Input • Verbal Output • Feedback

41. Teacher Expectation Research: High expectation students received more • Socioemotional Climate • Smiles, head nods, forward body leans, eye contact, support and friendliness • Verbal Inputs • Opportunities to learn new materials and more difficult materials

42. Teacher Expectation Research: High expectation students received more 3. Verbal Outputs • Clue giving, repetition/rephrasing; are called on more frequently 4. Feedback • More praise, less criticism

43. Let Me Tell You About Nancy Grossi- Indiana University

44. Identifying Transition Skills • We must be “Deliberate and Purposeful” • We must understand the general education curriculum and build relationships with general educators to ensure communication and coordination of services and activities. • Supplement, don’t supplant what is going on in the high school for all students • Identify the unique support needs for students Grossi- Indiana University

45. General Skills For Employment • Learning the characteristics of specific work settings and job positions that match the skills, preferences, and needs of the student. We need to learn the: • Environmental Conditions • Physical Demands • Attributes Grossi- Indiana Unviversity

46. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS • Inside (% of time) • Outside • Temperature variation • Noise level • Lighting (varied) • Presence of fumes, odors, dust in the air • Wet/damp • Distractions (people, phone, etc)

47. PHYSICAL DEMANDS • Standing/walking (% of time) • Sitting (% of time) • Lifting • Endurance (without breaks) • Fine Motor skills • Gross Motor skills • Orienting • Work pace

48. ATTRIBUTES • Appearance requirements • Communication and social interactions requirements • Initiation of work (Motivation) • Sequencing of job duties or daily changes in routines • Reinforcement available • Attention to task perseverance • Works independently • Judgment needed • Follows directions • Adheres to rules and safety regulations

49. Where Do You Collect the Information? • Cooperative Learning Groups • Project Based Learning activities • Career-tech • Service Learning Projects • In- and Out-of school work experiences • Job shadowing • Volunteering • Senior Projects • Transition assessments • Content-area units Grossi- Indiana University

50. What We Know • Many of the accommodations and support strategies used for individuals with disabilities can benefit many other employees such as • Limited English speaking employees • Older employees