Tuesday, May 31, 2011

$20 million to Improve Employment for People with Disabilities

US Labor Department Announces About $20 million to Fund State-Run Programs Aimed at Improving Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities

The Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in coordination with DOL's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announces the availability of approximately $20 million for a second round of cooperative agreements to state agencies that administer the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These funds provide an opportunity for states to develop and implement a plan for improving effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the workforce.

"Workers with disabilities suffer from one of the lowest employment rates of any group in the American population, even in times of prosperity," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "It is vital that state and local agencies work together with private sector partners to improve these statistics. Through this second round of funding, we are expanding the Disability Employment Initiative to include programs in additional states."

DOL is using this funding to implement the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI), through which the Department intends to make six to ten grant awards designed to:

  • Improve educational, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits;
  • Help these individuals with disabilities find a path into the middle class through exemplary and model service delivery by the public workforce system.
DOL will award DEI grants for a three-year period of performance. The complete SGA and any subsequent SGA amendments are described in further detail on federalregister.gov or dol.gov. The Web sites provide application information, eligibility requirements, review and selection procedures and other program requirements governing this solicitation.

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