Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides a safety net for millions of young adults with significant disabilities. Although most SSI participants do not work, many want to do so, potentially because working can provide a substantially higher income than SSI participation and improve quality of life. Policy analysts have speculated that efforts to help these individuals firmly establish themselves in the labor force before they apply for SSI might succeed. However, providing vocational services to people before they apply for SSI is challenging because it requires identifying in advance those who are likely to apply for SSI later. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report aims to inform those who study or develop programs offering employment services to young adults who are potential SSI participants. Employment and other programs seeking to effectively support potential SSI applicants could consider using the findings to improve their outreach and intake screening processes.

Hundreds of local labor markets fuel the American economy, and each one is driven by the needs of the local area’s mix of industries and the skills of its workers. When these needs and skills align, everyone can benefit. But many local economies are struggling to achieve strong alignment between the demand for middle-skills credentials (certificates and associate’s degrees) and the supply of these credentials produced by local institutions. This Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce resource consists of a full report and a data tool, both of which demonstrate that in half of the nation’s labor markets, at least 50 percent of all middle-skills credentials would need to be granted in different fields of study to meet projected labor demand through 2031. The report focuses on the great misalignment between middle-skills education and training, and middle-skills jobs—and what stakeholders can do to address it.

This National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) workshop will discuss strategies to make workplaces and workforce transition programs inclusive for youth with disabilities. These strategies ensure that outreach content on social media, physical workspaces, and documents given to youth employees are accessible for all and can be implemented without any programming experience. Additional strategies will cover actions that supervisors and coworkers can take to make youth employees with disabilities feel included. This NYEC virtual workshop will take place on July 11, 2024 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET and aims to give youth workforce specialists and employers tips on making sure youth employees with disabilities can succeed and feel included in their workplaces.

The University of Arizona’s Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities is hosting a webinar on July 16, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. MT, which will cover Pre-Employment Transition Services and highlight Work Base Learning Experiences (WBLEs). Speakers will discuss how the Center for Excellence in Disabilities is working collaboratively with Window Rock Unified School District to develop WBLEs for their transition-aged students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Human services practitioners often find themselves at the forefront of trauma. From abuse and neglect to violence and displacement, human services practitioners play a critical role in supporting the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the people they serve. While it is widely recognized that trauma is a reality for many individuals seeking support within the human services sector, what’s often forgotten is the well-being of the very staff who provide that support. This American Public Human Services Association resource explores trauma-informed approaches to human services and the implications for the workforce.

Led by Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago, Career Launch Chicago is an initiative working to develop youth apprenticeship programs that offer young people throughout the city opportunities to build in-demand skills and prepare for quality jobs in multiple high-growth industries, including advanced manufacturing, health care, and information technology. It also hopes to expand early college courses that are relevant to those pathways in target high schools and develop a work-based learning continuum that extends into earlier grades. Jobs for the Future published this profile which offers an in-depth look at the model Career Launch Chicago is developing, with examples of structures and approaches that other intermediaries and apprenticeship providers could apply to their own programs. It also offers recommendations of ways to scale youth apprenticeship by better integrating education and workforce systems.

The Administration for Children and Families released this resource, which includes frequently asked questions with responses to help programs understand the process when applying for ACF funding and/or managing awards. Topics in this Frequently Asked Questions webpage include Application Process, Application Review Process, and Grants Management.

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies is hosting a three-webinar series that targets frontline workers responsible for collecting data directly from customers. Participants may interact with individual claimants, jobseekers and employers through the Unemployment Insurance programs, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs, or other workforce development programs and services. Participants will emerge better understanding:
• The critical role of data in data-based decision-making
• Typically available datasets and reports
• How to apply available datasets and reports

Sessions include:
1. Data Quality: The Foundation for Trustworthy Decision will take place on July 2, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.
2. Decoding Data: Understanding the Reports You Use will take place on July 16, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.
3. Data-Driven Service: Using Reports to Enhance Customer Interactions will take place on July 30, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, human services agencies faced unique challenges to adapt services to meet new needs while supporting the staff delivering these services. The impact of this period is still felt today, with families adjusting to ending pandemic programs and communities experiencing human services workforce shortages. However, these challenges also spurred innovation in how people support each other. This Administration for Children and Families resource discusses how ACF catalyzed a new employee-centric program that has helped define their agency culture and advanced their work in communities.