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Supporting Competitive Employment Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities

By Alicia Reinhard, Special Education Team and the Interagency CIE Workgroup

“I want to be seen as reliable, responsible and really useful at my job.” Twenty year old Christan Myers of Stevens Point, WI is an example of how collaboration, paid work experience and high expectations can lead to competitive integrated employment (CIE) outcomes for youth with disabilities.

The 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) defines competitive integrated employment as:

  • A job that anyone else can apply for;
  • In the community (not separate/segregated from);
  • Pays the same as co-workers doing the same job;
  • Work with colleagues (not separated from); and
  • Opportunity to advance and change roles.

For people with disabilities, work offers an important pathway to self-sufficiency and a fulfilling life and is an opportunity to contribute to their communities and achieve other personal goals. 2017 Wisconsin Act 178 requires the Department of Workforce Development's (DWD) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), the Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to collaborate, with the input of stakeholders, in the development of a joint plan to increase CIE. This plan establishes performance improvement targets describing specific coordination methods to ensure programs, policies, and procedures support CIE.

The most recent 2024 CIE Annual Report further exemplifies the importance of collaboration on employment outcomes for Wisconsin residents with disabilities. When examining the current competitive employment outcomes for individuals served by the partner agencies, the greatest employment outcomes were achieved when an individual with a disability connects to vocational rehabilitation support. In fact, those individuals with disabilities who do not connect to vocational rehabilitation services, have the greatest disparities in competitive employment outcomes across age, gender, and ethnicity/race. In the 2024 CIE Annual report, the Statewide Interagency work group sought to better understand how youth are connecting with DVR supports and services. The analysis found that 88 percent of 17 year olds with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) were not connected to DVR during the 2022-23 school year. It is critical that educators and professionals supporting youth with disabilities provide information on the benefits of accessing DVR to students and families early in the transition process.

An administrator can play a critical role in fostering the necessary collaboration to support employment outcomes of students in the local school community. Key practices to foster collaboration include:

  • Assessing the access and engagement of students with disabilities in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and work based learning.
  • Support student access to DVR supports and services while at school. For example, provide time and space for DVR counselors to meet with youth and families during the school day and ensure DVR counselors are invited to IEP meetings.
  • Support school staff in understanding their roles and responsibilities in transition planning.

For more information and resources on promoting competitive employment visit the CIE Webpage or contact the interagency CIE workgroup at [email protected].