VR Workforce Studio Special Episode with Dr. Kurt Sprenger and his reflections on the 2018 NET Summit

NCRTM Highlights on Labor Market Information

Whether you are in leadership, business or job development, rehabilitation counseling, training, or a client, a fundamental understanding of the uses of Labor Market Information (LMI) may help you explore career decisions and expand job opportunities. The National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM) is your go-to resource for vocational rehabilitation information, technical assistance and training. The following resources include a sampling from the NCRTM.

The Career Index Plus (TCI+)

The Career Index Plus is the most comprehensive labor market and career information system available in America today.  Labor market information from a variety of sources is included within the website, including:

  • Salary and staffing pattern information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics;
  • Job trends and employment projections from State Labor Market Information Divisions;
  • Current job openings from Indeed.com®;  
  • Occupational Characteristics from O*Net Online;
  • Detailed occupational information from The Occupational Outlook Handbook;
  • Education and Certification data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System;
  • Industry statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau;
  • And more!!!

The Career Index Plus is available to all VR and Workforce Development Staff for no cost through the RSA-funded Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC).

Job-Driven Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center (JD-VRTAC)

  • Labor Market Information Toolkit. The LMI toolkit includes briefs, videos, archived webinars, and other tools that illustrate the value of LMI and its uses for VR leadership, management, counselors, and clients. The toolkit is divided into sections related to content and user interest including: The metrics to use various tools to understand the supply and demand of labor at the national, state and local level; how to integrate LMI into services whether you are a leader or in direct services; the models and structures exploring how different types of LMI can be used; and additional resources.
  • Hidden Gems: Using “Agency Business Relations LMI” as Part of your Labor Market Strategy. When discussing LMI, people commonly refer to one of two kinds: traditional LMI, or real-time LMI. However, there’s an additional source that vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies shouldn’t overlook: the “hidden gems” of agency business relations LMI. This brief explains creative ways to unlock these information sources to find new opportunities.

  • Counseling, Ethics, and Labor Market Information (LMI) WIOA requires VR counselors to utilize a dual customer approach: the client and business. This brief video describes ethical considerations for VR counselors to apply knowledge of the labor market to support individual client skills and interests. LMI should be used to inform decisions instead of driving a decision. 
  • Turning Labor Market Facts into Labor Market Information: LMI’s Effectiveness for Vocational Rehabilitation. This ReviewVR Brief highlights common LMI practices from state VR agencies (SVRAs) that participated in the Community of Practice, Turning Labor Market Facts into Labor Market Information. The information in this brief comes from CoP discussions and JD-VRTAC and WINTAC technical assistance experience. This brief also features challenges and limitations of LMI, provides recommendations for VR agencies regarding LMI, and offers questions for further consideration.

Brief State VR Agency Videos on How LMI Can Transform Job Training and Development Practices

    • Dream It. Do It. Virginia– Manufacturing Academy at WWRC. A dozen Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) consumers participated in a five-day manufacturing academy at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) to obtain knowledge and skills required in the manufacturing industry. Academy participants interested in a career in manufacturing can look into the WWRC’s 20-week training program that prepares consumers with the necessary knowledge and skills to obtain nationally recognized credentials.
    • Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities in Virginia, This brief video describes the Career Pathways Project, a five-year grant from the US Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration. Learn more about what DARS and the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired are doing with a federal grant to help individuals with disabilities gain training and credentials for jobs in high-demand industry sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing and IT. For more information on Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities and upcoming Dream It. Do It. Virginia Academies, visit https://www.vadars.org/gsp/cpid/cpid_home.htm

 

  • Maine Client Stories. Videos of clients and their counselors share stories of their journeys to employment including starting a business; finding employment while pursuing a teaching degree; keeping up with favorite interests; using labor market information to find a job matched to skills without losing ability to engage in other talents; and finding a job that incorporates a job seeker’s passion.

 

About NCRTM

The National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM) – ncrtm.ed.gov – is RSA’s gateway to technical assistance and training providing up-to-date reliable training materials. It is a venue for information sharing, learning, and professional growth for vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals, service providers, researchers, trainers, educators, individuals with disabilities and their support networks. These activities support RSA’s leadership role within the rehabilitation community to facilitate gains in competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities. Contact us at NCRTM@neweditions.net.

 

They are the Dreamers. We are the Doers.

Meet Rose Hilderbrand as she discusses her new job in manufacturing and hear reflections from Vanessa Rastberger of the Manufacturing Skills Institute and the National Clearinghouse Update with Cherie Takemoto.