Government-led training and hiring services for people with intellectual disabilities

The initiative provides a higher learning programme, a specialized industry-based training, and lifelong adult learning opportunities for people with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. Over 200 people participate across 19 programmes each year. Graduates have an 84 per cent employment rate.

The State of Vermont Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Initiative promotes college education and industry-based career training for transition-age youth with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, and access to lifelong learning. The policy aim is for enhancing the employment options in the open labour market. In 2019 over 200 young people and adults participated across 19 transition, education, or life-long learning programmes. PSE graduates have an 84 per cent employment rate.

Problems Targeted

The state of Vermont offers a variety of educational and vocational training programmes, but differences among them are often confusing to participants.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The state of Vermont works with selected implementation partners in post-secondary education facilities (‘provider agencies’) that organize three services to support training and education for people with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities (DD/ID). The first two programmes target the employment of young persons, while the third provides life-long adult learning opportunities. Business contacts are organized through the Vermont Job Developers’ Association, where job developers organize a unified approach to employers. The Work Experience Program funds employers during the time of the job matching, which helps to motivate employers to offer new jobs without too much risk. The companies themselves do not receive direct financial incentives. Graduates of the post-secondary education programmes have an 84 per cent employment rate. These results have led to Vermont having a 49 per cent employment rate of people with DD/ID.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Funding of the three programmes is provided by the federal Medicaid Waiver, which allows states to provide care or support for certain groups. All programme partners cooperate under the state umbrella, which guarantees financial stability for all organizations involved, enabling long-term planning. This is one of the pillars for the programme’s success over the years. In the coming years, the project will work to incorporate its post-secondary education support services into State Medicaid Rules as a reimbursable service.

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