| November 12, 2021 Build Back Better Blog Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, was interviewed for a blog on "Build Back Better, Build Back Accessible: Appointees Reflect on National Disability Employment Awareness Month" for the White House Office of Public Engagement. In the blog, Williams discusses her mission as assistant secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the importance of having people with disabilities in public service careers. "I would just say that I want people to know that we need them – we need the disability community working for government when it comes to really impacting the policy process," said Williams. EARN Unveils New Website The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion unveiled its newly redesigned website, AskEARN.org. Structured around four phases of the employment lifecycle – recruit, hire, retain and advance – the new site offers resources including self-paced online training courses, easy-to-use checklists, in-depth policy guides, videos profiling disability-inclusive employers and archived webinars on a range of issues. In addition, the website offers information on workplace mental health, COVID-19 employment-related issues, inclusive telework, federal contractor requirements and the benefits of hiring neurodiverse employees. Provider Transformation Success Story The Employment First Community of Practice will host a webinar on the "ARC of Bakersfield Provider Transformation Success Story" on November 17 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. In the webinar, the ARC of Bakersfield, one of the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network's local partner organizations, will discuss their experiences with NEON and their decisions when implementing Competitive Integrated Employment. Advancing Financial Equity The national online dialogue, "Advancing Financial Equity for Individuals with Disabilities," has been extended through November 15. This will be the last chance to join the conversation and submit ideas on ways the U.S. Department of Labor can expand and strengthen its "Secure Your Financial Future Toolkit" and better create equitable opportunities for employment and financial empowerment for people with disabilities, particularly those from underserved communities. Input gathered from the dialogue and the department's November 10 Twitter chat, which featured special guests from the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, The Association of People Supporting Employment First, National Disability Institute and The ABLE National Resource Center, will help further inform the department's efforts to best ensure equity in the workplace and create a more equitable economy. Career and Technical Education The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth released a brief on "Promoting and Maintaining Career and Technical Education for Students with Disabilities: State Strategies Developed During the COVID-19 Pandemic." This brief discusses how states increased participation and performance in CTE programs for students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores lessons learned and how policymakers can support the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Creating Inclusive Virtual and Hybrid Apprenticeships The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship released a guide on "Creating Inclusive Virtual & Hybrid Apprenticeships: What Apprenti Learned During COVID-19." This guide discusses how Apprenti, a technology apprenticeship intermediary, successfully transitioned to a 100% virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experience shows how apprenticeship programs can actively transform their business models to recruit and support apprentices with disabilities. The guide offers valuable insights, approaches and lessons learned to help other organizations shift to remote work. National Apprenticeship Week The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship launched a National Apprenticeship Week web page to celebrate inclusive apprenticeships. Inclusive apprenticeships create career pathways for everyone, including people with disabilities, veterans and individuals from historically underserved and underrepresented communities. PIA's National Apprenticeship Week web page highlights resources to support apprentices with disabilities, employers and intermediary organizations; resources to promote National Apprenticeship Week; and National Apprenticeship Week events. State Strategies to Expand Disability-Inclusive Apprenticeships In anticipation of National Apprenticeship Week, The Council of State Governments published a blog highlighting the findings of CSG's new report on "The Future of Apprenticeship: Inclusion, Expansion, and the Post-Pandemic World of Work." The blog and the report, both developed in collaboration with State Exchange on Employment & Disability, incorporate input from state policymakers and apprenticeship program officials and experts, provide state examples and feature strategies to help states expand disability-inclusive apprenticeship programs. Employment Recovery Listening Session The State Exchange on Employment & Disability, in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures, facilitated a listening session on "Disability-Inclusive Employment Recovery" during the NCSL annual Legislative Summit. The group heard from state legislators on their insights and experiences responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will inform NCSL's work to assist their members in adopting disability-inclusive policies and practices. | 
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