This Department of Labor toolkit was developed in collaboration with the National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) provides TANF front-line staff with a range of tools and resources on topics like financial planning and goal setting, to support individuals with disabilities in building a secure financial future. Covering every stage of the employment journey, from preparing for a job to maintaining employment and planning for retirement, this resource empowers participants to achieve lasting financial stability and independence. 

For more information, please contact Yvonne Wright at ywright@ndi-inc.org.

Both college-going and college completion rates are far lower in rural areas than in other geographical settings. To better understand what works to help rural students enroll in and complete college, MDRC has launched the National Rural Higher Education Research Center. The center will work with college systems to conduct eight research studies in two regions: the South and the Mountain West. In this Evidence First podcast episode, MDRC discusses the research questions the Center will address in response to the needs of rural practitioners and policymakers.

This Office on Trafficking in Persons fact sheet provides an overview of community resources and highlights programs assisting with job training, food, energy bills, housing, childcare, and recovery services for those affected by trafficking. Support for disaster recovery and access to social services such as substance use treatment and mental health care are also included.

With institutional cultures that are rooted in family, community, and holistic supports, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) are uniquely positioned to catalyze the systemic change needed to better support Black and Native student parents. Ascend at the Aspen Institute established the Black and Native Family Futures Fund to provide funding and expert technical assistance to eight HBCU and TCU partners. Ascend is hosting a webinar on November 14, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET where student parents and leaders from some of the Fund partners will discuss key themes including the importance of family-like environments, student parent expertise, and the support of leadership.

This Office of Research, Planning and Evaluation report describes the design of the NextGen Project, which is evaluating the effectiveness of four programs that provide services for people with physical, mental, or emotional health challenges. Many of the people are potential applicants for Supplemental Security Income. The four programs highlighted are:
• Bridges from School to Work;
• Individual Placement and Support for Adults with Justice Involvement;
• Philadelphia Workforce Inclusion Networks; and
• Western Mass Mental Health Outreach for MotherS PartnershipSM.

Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking need access to education and job training programs that are grounded in trauma-informed practices. Futures Without Violence hosted a webinar in January 2022 and focused on recognizing barriers to employment and education for survivors and strategies for building strong cross-sector collaborations between advocacy service providers and workforce development programs.

Survivors of domestic violence (DV) often face multiple barriers to employment, including limited skills, gaps in their education and work histories, housing instability, and mental health and substance use needs. This Urban Institute policy brief summarizes the major findings from their evaluation of the Career Readiness Training Program, Sanctuary for Families’ workforce development program in New York City designed specifically for DV survivors. The brief also presents recommendations for workforce development programs serving DV survivors.

The direct support professional (DSP) is a subset of the broader direct care workforce. DSPs play a crucial role in supporting people with disabilities to participate fully in their communities, live in integrated settings and seek competitive integrated employment. The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities is hosting a webinar on November 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET, where participants can hear how states, workforce systems, education and community partners are leveraging registered apprenticeships to meet DSP workforce demands.

Access to unemployment insurance (UI) benefits has been a challenge for all workers, but especially workers of color, workers with less formal education, lower-paid workers, younger workers, and workers with disabilities, who have all been less likely to apply for and receive benefits, even when potentially eligible. Building on community-based organizations’ role in connecting workers with UI benefits, the U.S. Department of Labor launched a three-year pilot “navigator” program in 2022. The program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, aimed to help state UI agencies develop community partnerships. This Center for American Progress report provides an evaluation of one of the navigator programs, Maine’s Peer Workforce Navigator (PWN) program. The PWN program received state funding supplemented by federal navigator grants for unions and other community organizations to help unemployed workers access public unemployment insurance benefits and job training benefits.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual recognition of the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. In honor of this year’s theme, “Access to Good Jobs for All,” this resource by the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth highlights an innovative Massachusetts Commission for the Blind program that provides youth and young adults with disabilities access to high-quality employment experiences.