In April, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) awarded an Equitable Transition Model Demonstration grant to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL). The funding is aimed at developing strategies to assist youth and young adults with disabilities — particularly in underserved communities — in successfully transitioning into the workforce.
USDOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Employment and Training Administration are administering the grant for this cooperative agreement, which will support efforts to identify evidence-based solutions that enhance the training and employment prospects of disabled youth and young adults.
Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn M. Williams emphasized the importance of this effort in a press release from the USDOL: “These cooperative agreements will help us identify the most effective strategies for dismantling these barriers, ensuring all young people with disabilities are supported and empowered to successfully navigate the transition from school to college or a career.”
In a statement to Able News, NYDOL uplifted the benefits that will stem from this funding: “Diversity enriches and strengthens New York State’s robust economy. The grant addresses the needs of youth and young adults with disabilities facing multiple challenges to employment, including intersecting issues raised by disability, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, homelessness, and justice involvement.”
Looking ahead to implementing the grant, NYDOL shared that the agency “will work with other State agencies and community partners to eliminate obstacles preventing New Yorkers with disabilities from participating in our economy by finding careers they love.”