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Customized Employment

Institute for Community Inclusion

www.communityinclusion.org

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Video: Customized Employment

Produced by Visions Unlimited Productions, Inc.© 2004 Tennessee Customized Employment

Partnership

Funded under a grant/contract supported by the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, #E-9-4-1-0079

The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Customized Employment: The Concept

Traditional job search methods do not meet the needs of all

CE offers a chance for a job to fit who we are & what we have to offer

Customization: everyone customizes aspects of their job to meet their needs

CE provides an advantage for any job seeker with a complex life

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Diverse Populations Complex Lives

-Displaced homemakers - Low literacy-Ex-offenders - Poverty-Welfare recipients - Language barriers-Youth/Older workers - Cultural differences-People with disabilities - Lack of skills/work hx-Veterans - Child care needs

- Homelessness

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Effective Practices for People with Disabilities Expanded

Rockville, MD using the Customized Employment Strategies with Vets

Fairbanks, AK integrating Customized Employment Model with DPA Recipients (ATAP)

Knoxville, TN applying Customized Employment Strategies with Youth Transitioning from High School

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Taking a job “off the rack” doesn’t always result in a good fit

Job descriptions can be customized to fit the

contributions of a job seeker with the task needs of an

employer

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Principles of Customized Employment

Exploratory time with individual is primary source of information regarding skills, abilities, interests

Job seeker’s preferences and contributions drive the planning process

Blending of services and supports (WFD, public & private partners)

Employer voluntarily negotiates job duties/expectations

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How Do We Know It When We Have It?

Personalized job description or expectation Individual makes tangible contributions Strategies used to tailor job description Individually designed services and supports

are provided Individual has choice and control over

funding usage

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How Do We Know It When We Have It?

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The Customized Employment Process

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Tools of Customized Employment

DiscoveryProfile

PortfoliosPlanning Meeting

Task List

Employer Negotiations/Proposal

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Creating a Profile for Job Development Entails:

1. A process of exploration for the individual and the employment specialist

2. Outlining the individual’s strengths, interests and needs 3. Individual’s determination of work goal/direction4. The individual determines who is involved in the job

development process

The profile includes the following;

– Who the individual is and wants to be– A plan for job development

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The Discovery Process

The individual expresses their dreams, goals, personal preferences, life experiences and needs regarding employment

The individual decides who will participate in creating their profile (family, service providers, school staff..etc)

The individual is the primary source of information, with other participants providing ideas and suggestions

Information can be gathered one-on-one or in group meetings, as formally, or informally as the individual requests

Exploration

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The Discovery Process

Additional information about life experiences is gathered through observation

– Visit the individual in their home, work and social environments Needs related to the identified goals should be discussed

– Career exploration – Additional training/skills building – Job support needs such as job coaching, travel training, counseling– Accommodations such as assistive technology, ASL interpreters,

modification of hours, duties..etc Concerns and questions regarding the impact of working on Social

Security benefits should be discussed– Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach Programs– Project Impact (MRC)– Beneplan (Resource Partnership)

Exploration

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Employment Options

Based on the Discovery process, an individual may determine that self-employment is their career path of choice

– Microenterprise/small business development– Resource Ownership– SBA, SCORE and other resources available

Self-Employment

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For others, we develop a plan of action for job development

The plan should include– A task list proposal for employers – Potential employers to contact – Personal and professional network contacts– Outlines roles and responsibilities of all – Sets timeframes and points for evaluation of

progress

Vocational Profile

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Additional Needs and Resources

Career Exploration:– Workshops at career centers and other facilities– Informational interviews and tours– On-site interviews with employers at career centers– Informal conversations through networking– Internet information

Training and Skill building:– Workshops at career centers and other facilities– Classes at educational facilities, Adult Ed. Programs,

specialized programs

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Get to know the employers identified through the planning process

– Arrange informational interviews to learn about the business and how it operates

– Assist them in identifying needs they have– Build long term relationships with employers – Learn how to “talk their talk”

Employer Negotiations

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Negotiating with Employers

Key to customized employment is negotiating opportunities for individuals based on their expressed goals

Once you know the employer and how their business operates you can look for ways in which your service and the job seeker can benefit the business by improving operations or increasing profits

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Negotiating with Employers

For some individuals, based on their skills and experience, the employer will immediately see the benefit of hiring them to perform a particular job

But the individual may still need assistance – Learning how to present and represent

themselves to employers during the job search process

– Organizing their job search activities– Building their skills and experience to reach their

goals

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Negotiating with Employers

For other individuals, the employer will need assistance in understanding how the they can contribute to that business by performing particular tasks-this may include negotiating any of the following;

– The responsibilities of the position as listed in the job description

– The time, hours, and location of the job in question– The support strategies and supervision the individual will

need– Productivity and outcome expectations

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Options to Customize a Job Description

Job Carving-A job description is created by modifying an existing job description, it will contain one or more, but not all of the tasks from the original description

Job Creation-A new, individualized job description is created that fit the employers needs and the individuals skills and interests

Job Sharing-Two or more people share the tasks and responsibilities based on each of their strengths

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Employers’ Benefit from Customization

Work gets done faster or more precisely Employees become more productive Profit increases Work can be reorganized to flow better Overburdened employees can be relieved Operations become more efficient

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Customized Employment includes making employment supports available. They assist the individual in preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining employment.

The type of supports, and methods used will be unique for each individual

Consider the following;– Use what’s already in the workplace– Adapt what is in the workplace– Supplement what is in the workplace

Ongoing Supports

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Customized Employment in Action!

Jacob

Ramon

Bo

Alvin

Doreen

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Jacob: Job Creation in Alaska

Jacob's job with a local moving company was

created through negotiations between his

employer and staff with the

Juneau Job Center

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Ramon: Carved Job in Maryland

Ramon achieved a customized

position with a local dentist by working with a

career specialist from the

Montgomery Works One-Stop

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Bo: Vending Machine Owner in Indiana

Through a collaborative effort between the Indianapolis PIC’s Customized Employment Project, the DVR, and transition services at his local high school, Bo is self-employed as a vending machine owner.

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George: Carved Job in Georgia

After exploring George’s interest in working with children, helping others, and being active in the community, the public school system carved a Special Ed Aide position, tapping into his skill sets.

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Alvin’s Tooling Design Biz: Alabama

Alvin owns his own engineering support service business, a goal that he achieved through the Easter Seals of Central Alabama ACE Micro-Enterprise Program

www.cadtooling.net/

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Joey: Maryland

Joey’s position was created with the local retail clothing store. His school, his employer, and a career specialist from the Maryland CEP worked together with Joey to fund services and customize the job.

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Doreen’s Pet Grooming: Montana

Doreen was able to access the Cut Bank

Job Service/Workforce Center in Montana, which helped her to establish her own

dog grooming business.

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Here I Am!Representation to Employers

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The Resume

A great tool for many people Resume representation not always the best

option– Gaps in work history– Numerous jobs– Lack of work history– Non-readers– ESL issues

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Alternate Options

PortfolioWeb siteCD Portfolio