This month’s Spotlight is on DSB's Business Relations Team. This critical team serves a dual role at the agency. They assist DSB's Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) customers to prepare for and find employment in their chosen career field; and they help employers who want to create an inclusive workplace, ease their concerns of hiring people with disabilities, and support their employees who are experiencing vision loss or are Blind, Deaf-Blind, or Low Vision. The Business Relations Team is proud of the number of successes that they’ve helped initiate over the past year.
ADA Ally: An On-the-Job Training Opportunity Results in Two New Hires
Recently, the company ADA Ally reached out to DSB looking for Accessibility Testers. DSB’s Business Relations Team sent multiple resumes, ADA Ally conducted interviews, and two individuals were hired. DSB entered into an On-the-Job Training agreement with ADA Ally to subsidize their training costs. Both have completed their training, and now ADA Ally has two new employees working for them assisting ADA Ally in their work.
There are many ways to connect DSB customer talent to business hiring needs. One way is through an On-the-Job Training (OJT) agreement. An OJT is a partnership where a business hires a motivated individual and the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) subsidizes their initial training. It’s a win-win that bridges the gap between hiring and high performance, allowing employers to build a workforce that fits their unique needs.
Quote from Matt: “Working with you guys, it’s sort of like having my own recruiter that I don’t have to pay for.”
Voice of the Customer
When DSB customer Jay, who resides in the Okanagan Valley, met with Business Relations Specialist J.C., who supports all of Eastern Washington, J.C. was able to connect Jay with a position in the WorkSource Center in Omak, Washington. There Jay helps customers to set up their account, get connected with services, teaches computer classes at the Center, and much more.
In these video clips, DSB’s Business Relations and Workforce Program Manager, Carl Peterson, gets a tour of the Center with Jay and learns about some of the Assistive Technology (AT) that Jay uses on the job.
Welcome to the Omak WorkSource and Jay’s workstation setup.
Jay talks about helping customers in the Resource Room and how his disability has been an asset.
How AT helps Jay when he teaches at the WorkSource Center.
Strategies for Success Pilot Program
A recent pilot program was completed that helped DSB customers enroll and participate in the WorkSource program called “Strategies for Success”. It went very well and highlighted the importance of this Workforce partnership.
Business Relations Specialist Ashley D talks about the successful pilot program.
Read more about Strategies for Success and customer feedback received after completing the program.
Business Relations Assists ESD with Accessibility Testers
Business Relations and Workforce Program Manager, Carl Peterson, was contacted by the Employment Security Department (ESD) for assistance connecting with Assistive Technology users to perform accessibility testing on their new WaWorks program. Carl received the following thank you note from his ESD contact, Marissa Meyer:
“Hi Carl, thank you so much for helping us recruit and develop a customer pool for user testing. The testing team did outstanding and were a delight to learn from. We got a lot of rich information for updates we need to make now before launch and beyond. Your team also helped us recruit within their network, so the multiplier effect was so helpful.”
Marissa also indicated there will be more accessibility testing opportunities as the project moves forward.
Cultivating Career Pathways – In Partnership with DVR and Hyatt
Note: This story was also shared in the DVR News Alert for March 9-13.
Recently, members of the Business Relations teams from DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) and DSB met with longtime partner Christina Vingerud, SHRM-CP. As the Area Talent Manager for the Grand Hyatt, Hyatt at Olive 8, and Hyatt Regency in Seattle, this partnership serves as a model for community engagement. Hyatt’s commitment goes far beyond traditional hiring; they are a staple at the Employ Ability Career Fairs, a frequent host for the Hands on at Hyatt initiative led by John Ficca of Hands on Educational Services Inc., and an active participant in specialized career exploration fairs for students who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deafblind.
Left to right: Brent Masters (DVR), Christina Vingerud (Hyatt), Ashley Douthett (DSB), and Jeannine Chandler (DVR).
Beyond recruitment, Christina and her team regularly host tours for students and underserved communities, providing a firsthand look at the diverse career paths available within the hospitality industry. Collaborations like this serve as excellent examples of the vital work the Business Relations teams for DVR and DSB do throughout the state to help our customers be successful.
DSB joins with DVR and WWA to present to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
In February, DSB Business Relations Specialist Josh R joined with Business Specialists from DVR and WWA (WA Workforce Association) to give a presentation on hiring individuals with disabilities to 30 HR professionals from businesses located throughout King County. The attendees were very interested in learning about Vocational Rehabilitation services and how they connect customers to their desired careers, as well as being a resource for helping businesses find qualified employees.