| October 15, 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Virtual Celebration Join U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams for a virtual celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the 20th anniversary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy. The event will be held on October 20 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. It will feature insightful dialogues and a video showcase highlighting strategies in action for an equitable, disability-inclusive recovery. Featured guests will include Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Jenny Yang and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Jennifer Sheehy. LEAD Center Website The LEAD Center launched a newly redesigned website. The LEAD Center is the Office of Disability Employment Policy's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act policy development center. The center's areas of concentration include financial literacy, veterans' employment, Section 188 of WIOA, health care, career pathways, research and data collection. The Financial Impact of Systemic Inequality and Intersectionality The LEAD Center webinar on "Race, Ethnicity and Disability: The Financial Impact of Systemic Inequality and Intersectionality" is available in the archive. The webinar focused on the financial conditions of Black, Indigenous and other people of color at the intersection of race, ethnicity and disability. Subject matter experts discussed the financial impact of systemic inequality and intersectionality and how workforce development professionals apply the lessons learned about race, disability and poverty. They examined ways to improve financial inclusion and build economic self-sufficiency through tools like credit building, financial education and ABLE accounts. Clean Energy Apprenticeships The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship posted a new episode of its Apprenticeship for All podcast on "Building Workforce Talent for the Clean Energy Sector through Apprenticeship." In the podcast, Richard Lawrence and Megan Howes from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council discuss how inclusive apprenticeship programs will help the rapidly growing clean energy sector meet its demand for skilled talent. Building Equitable Workplaces The Campaign for Disability Employment posted a guest blog by Emily M. Dickens, chief of staff, head of government affairs and corporate secretary of the Society for Human Resource Management, on "Building Equitable Workplaces Requires the Right Tools." In the blog, Dickens discusses the importance of supporting executives and human resources professionals to create and enhance disability employment initiatives. "Like constructing a home, building diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces for workers with disabilities requires a shared vision, the right set of tools, a dedicated team and time," said Dickens. "When we collectively commit to addressing the gap that exists between talent acquisition practices and the needs of the disability community, we can build better workplaces and a better world." COVID-19 Resources for State and Local Policymakers The State Exchange on Employment & Disability developed a new COVID-19 webpage to help state and local policymakers develop and implement policies for a disability-inclusive economic recovery. The webpage, "COVID-19 Resources for Policymakers," offers policy briefs, frameworks, checklists and more to help states and localities ensure their new policies are fully inclusive and aligned with our nation's disability and civil rights laws and policies. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Disability Employment Policy As part of its collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment & Disability, Women In Government held a session on "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Disability Employment Policy" during the WIG Healthcare & Technology Summit. The panel featured SEED, Washington State Rep. My-Linh Thai and Emily Dickens, chief of staff, head of government affairs and corporate secretary of the Society for Human Resource Management. The panel was moderated by Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales. Panelists highlighted state policy examples, such as the Office of Equity in Washington State, that help alleviate employment disparities for people with disabilities, including women, people of color and other under-represented individuals. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment