Regional Employment Collaboratives
In July 2009, Work Without Limits awarded five two-and-a-half-year grants to Regional Employment Collaboratives with the goal of improving competitive employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts. The five Collaboratives will accomplish this goal through enhanced teamwork and streamlined communication and coordination among service providers, state agencies, employers, schools and people with disabilities, in an effort to improve the service delivery and business engagement model in the State.
The five regions that received funding are Berkshire County, Bristol County, Metro South West, Central Massachusetts, and Greater Boston.
As part of the preliminary work, each Collaborative conducted an in-depth needs assessment of their region to help inform their strategies going forward. Common needs and barriers that were identified during this process include:
- Increased education and awareness about employing people with disabilities among business and employers.
- Increased awareness of the needs of employers among providers.
- Increased access for people with disabilities to portions of the job market that have traditionally been difficult to enter.
- Better use of labor market information to guide job development and placement activities.
- Strengthened capacity of community and state employment service providers to work together toward the common goal of enhancing employment for people with disabilities.
The Collaboratives are addressing these barriers through targeted coordination based on regional needs. Work Without Limits supports the Collaboratives by providing technical assistance and assisting in the evaluation of progress and outcomes. For details and contact information for the Collaboratives, please follow the links below.
Bristol Employment Collaborative
Central Massachusetts Employment Collaborative
Greater Boston Employment Collaborative
Metro West Regional Employment Collaborative
Partnerships in Employment, Berkshire County
For general information on the Work Without Limits Collaboratives, please contact Kathy Muhr, Project Associate, at UMass Medical School, by calling 508-856-3533, or emailing kathy.muhr@umassmed.edu
To view upcoming Collaborative events, click here
