Employment First

Spread the Word about Employment First – New Materials Available!

Are you interested in spreading the word in your community about WI Employment First and the benefits of hiring people with disabilities?  Wisconsin Employment First has created two new presentations – one for self-advocates and families and the other for employers – that you can use or adapt to share information to groups in your community. Employment Read the full article…

Creating a Better Bottom Line for Students with Disabilities

92% of the 2,900 youth ages 18-21 currently receiving Long-Term Care supports through the Department of Health Services are not employed in their community even though they want to work! (*Source: WI Department of Public Instruction, 2014). The Department of Public Instruction submitted two key state budget proposals to improve employment outcomes for youth with Read the full article…

Communication Resources for the HCBS Settings Rule Changes

WI Employment First and WI APSE are committed to helping people become correctly informed about the new federal rules. Some WI APSE members, such as LCS in Racine, have been leaders in promoting accurate information about these changes by sending letters to program participants and their parents, guardians, and residential services staff. There is a Read the full article…

EF Community Action Teams Post Videos

Hot off the press!  Check out these new YouTube video’s done by two of our Employment First Community Action Teams (CATS) highlighting the importance of businesses hiring people with disabilities. The Manitowoc CAT developed two Jobs First! Commercials to be released on many Comcast channels.  One featuring  Jackson Elementary K-Kids http://youtu.be/6LHaRMyjB9Q; and one the Kiwanis Read the full article…

Governor Walker Visits Fast Forward Grant Recipients

On Thursday, December 11th Governor Walker attended an event held by one of the Fast Forward Grant recipients, the Milwaukee Center for Independence. This $99,125 Wisconsin Fast Forward grant will be utilized to train approximately 50 people who are currently facing obstacles to work to be qualified Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) View summary

Governor Walker Announces $600,000 in Grants to Train Workers with Disabilities

Governor Scott Walker announced the intent to award more than $600,000 in worker training grants to help more than 200 persons with disabilities develop demand-driven skills to reach their employment goals. The grants are supported through Governor Walker’s $35.4 million Wisconsin Fast Forward — Blueprint for Prosperity initiative, which invests in worker training to move Read the full article…

Hold the Date: April 9 for 2015 Employment First Conference

Save the date for the 2015 Employment First Conference: April 9 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Last year over 350 people attended the first Employment First conference! People who attended the conference said as a result of the conference I will……..”Gather and share more stories, support people who want to see change, actively Read the full article…

International Campaign Launched to Promote Hiring People with Disabilities

Best Buddies International has just initiated a hiring campaign called “I’m In To Hire.” The campaign promotes the business benefits of hiring people with disabilities and motivates employers to create a more inclusive workplace. The “I’m In To Hire” campaign is rooted in an Institute for Corporate Productivity report, “Employing People with Intellectual and Developmental Read the full article…