Career Pathways as noted in WIOA includes a focus on business engagement as a primary service of the Workforce System. Directly discussing with businesses their high demand occupation needs, pain points, culture, as well as credentials and soft skill requirements, workforce professionals are provided a blueprint for creating job seeker services that address business needs. Integrating a business engagement focus into Career Pathways systems development provides rehabilitation and workforce professionals information needed to develop the programming and services to ensure individuals with disabilities and other barriers are first in line to receive job interviews. This truly does create the “edge” we should be looking for with our clients.
If rehabilitation workforce professionals develop the services that respond to the credentials, skill set and soft skill requirements recruiters will be focused on the clients’ abilities and the match to their business needs rather than their limitations.