As Governors work to confront an extremely tight labor market, efforts to reduce barriers to workforce participation are increasingly critical for developing a skilled workforce and filling in-demand jobs. This includes expanding inclusive, accessible career opportunities for people with disabilities, who historically experience higher rates of unemployment than people without disabilities. To support Governors in their work the NGA Center for Best Practices is coordinating the Disability Inclusive Workforce Policy Learning Collaborative.
The Learning Collaborative is supported through the NGA Center’s participation in the U.S. Department of Labors’ State Exchange on Employment & Disability – a unique state-federal collaboration that supports state and local governments in adopting and implementing inclusive policies and practices that lead to increased employment opportunities for workers with disabilities.
Through participation in the Learning Collaborative, six state teams, from Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, and Vermont, will receive customized technical assistance from the NGA Center as they develop plans to expand employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities. Facilitated peer learning opportunities and assistance from national subject matter experts will also help to inform their action plans.
Along with the Learning Collaborative, the NGA Center is offering additional states the opportunity to join a disability inclusive workforce policy Community of Practice. States who join the Community of Practice will have access to select resources and peer learning opportunities developed for the Learning Collaborative.
For more information about the Learning Collaborative and the NGA Center’s work to support Governors in achieving their disability employment policy goals, please contact Jack Porter at jporter@nga.org.
