Regional Business Initiatives - Overview

LIA-Staffing & Re-Employment Disability Initiative
 History | Workforce Development | Stakeholders | Economic Outcomes | Regional Marketing Staff

"The Most Qualified Workers for Employers"

"The Highest Quality Careers for Consumers"

LONG ISLAND WORKING PARTNERSHIP

BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER TO ENHANCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Partnership Links
Nassau Placement Network	Universal Resources Workforce Investment System	Listnet

History
The Long Island Working Partnership was established in 1992.  VESID, working with business leaders, government partners, and stakeholding community service providers joined to systematically assess the needs and growth patterns of the business community and match them with an otherwise underutilized resource: qualified individuals with disabilities.

Workforce Development
The focus was on planning to access the emerging needs of business and industry with a workforce of qualified workers with disabilities. These individuals have the highest unemployment rate of any minority group, due to both attitudinal and architectural barriers to employment. The mission/challenge is to assist these workers to prepare for and access the opportunities presented by the emerging needs of business.  This is accomplished by simplifying the access of business to the resources they need, linking them to community partners and one stop service initiatives. 

As such it was developed as, and still is, a human service initiative, a workforce development initiative and an economic development initiative.

Stakeholders

• The founding government agencies were Vocational and Eductional Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), Empire State Development (ESD) and Department of Labor (DOL).   Many others joined from federal, state and local entities.
• Business partners include the major employers in the region as well as business groups representing small to mid size companies, like the LIA, HIA, and public/private planning groups such as the area WIB’s, and One-Stop Centers.
• Community stakeholders include members of placement/provider consortia such as Suffolk and Nassau Placement Networks and Long Island Supported Employers Providers Association; in total over 50 not for profit agencies.
• Relationships among all of these groups has been extremely positive, proactive and unified as a partnership. Outreach to new stakeholders/partners is included in a process of continuous improvement.

Economic Outcomes

• On average 2,000 qualified new workers enter the Long Island labor market each year
• Since 1992 over 17,000 Long Islanders with disabilities have entered the labor market!
• Each year these individuals earn well over $20,000,000 and reduce public assistance by over $2,000,000.
• Over the past three years over 100 employers have been awarded and recognized by the Long Island Community for their success in hiring workers for disabilities.

Regional Marketing Staff

	Ella Craanen Long Island Regional Marketing Coordinator Phone:  (516) 505-3213 Fax: (516) 505-3216 ecraanen@mail.nysed.gov
	Dania Smith Hempstead Director of Placement Services Phone:  (516) 483-6510 Fax: (516) 483-6058 dsmith@mail.nysed.gov

VESID makes submitting a job order fast and easy for you.  You may:

• Enter your job order on-line.  We process these requests daily.

• Fax your job order to us.  You may use your company's job order form or print and complete our Job Order Form. 

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