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November 19, 2021

Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships National Online Dialogue

Now through December 3, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship, Women’s Bureau, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Wage and Hour Division, are hosting “Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships: A National Online Dialogue on Increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Apprenticeship.” Through the dialogue, the department will foster inclusive Registered Apprenticeships to support career seekers from diverse and underrepresented communities, particularly people with disabilities, women, people of color, veterans and people from the LGBTQIA+ community. Join the conversation to share ideas on policies, practices, strategies and approaches to expand the availability of inclusive apprenticeships and help address barriers to their success.

Included: The Disability Equity Podcast

Assistant Secretary Taryn Williams of the Office of Disability Employment Policy was interviewed on “Included: The Disability Equity Podcast.” Hosted by Dr. Bonnielin Swenor and Dr. Nicholas Reed from Johns Hopkins University, the Included Podcast examines issues of disability equality. In the interview, Williams discusses Long COVID, mental health in the workplace, colleges’ role in the employment process for people with disabilities and more.

National Apprenticeship Week

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth released a blog on “National Apprenticeship Week.” The blog discusses the benefits of apprenticeships and highlights three state programs (NJ, LA, OR) focused on apprenticeship for youth with and without disabilities.

Inclusive Apprenticeships and Accessibility

The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology posted a blog on “Inclusive Apprenticeships: The Importance of Accessibility.” The blog by Josh Christianson, director of the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, examines the importance of creating apprenticeship programs that are inclusive and accessible to ensure everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully participate in opportunities that can add lifetime benefits to their careers.

Inclusive Apprenticeship Experience

The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship released a podcast on “The Inclusive Apprenticeship Experience: A Current Apprentice Discusses his Journey to a Career in Cybersecurity.” In the podcast, Chad Chaffee, a cybersecurity apprentice, discusses the benefits of inclusive apprenticeship for people with disabilities. He reveals how Apprenti’s inclusive workplace culture encouraged him to self-disclose his ADHD and get support to pursue a career in a high-growth, high-demand sector.

Inclusive Workforce Development Services Toolkit

The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Workforce Development Council, in collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment & Disability, published a toolkit on “Providing Effective Workforce Development Services to Individuals with Disabilities in a Limited Resource Environment.” The toolkit promotes COVID-19 recovery efforts that advance inclusive and equitable employment for individuals with disabilities. It features actions for city and workforce leaders to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities and to develop policies, programs and practices that promote workforce inclusivity and accessibility. SEED presented the findings of the toolkit during WDC’s Annual Meeting.

Success Story on Inclusive Apprenticeship in State Government

As part of the National Apprenticeship Week celebration, the Council of State Governments, in collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment & Disability, published a blog on “Ohio Program Sees Success with Disability Inclusion, Preparation for State Government Careers.” The blog focuses on an Ohio vocational apprenticeship program that encourages state government to hire individuals with disabilities.