In continuing to recognize National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) is highlighting an innovative program from the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). This initiative “provides youth and young adults with disabilities access to high-quality employment experiences.” It stemmed from a pilot introduced in 2003 by MCB Commissioner John Oliveira (Director of Staff Development at that time) in response to a “pressing need.” He noted that “’We observed (that) many of our consumers graduate from high school and college with little to no work experience, which was impacting their job readiness.’” This pilot grew into a statewide Summer Internship Program, providing work-based learning opportunities aimed at cultivating skills for employment in the competitive marketplace for young adults who are blind or have low vision. Today MCB facilitates both in-person and virtual internships for young adults as well as adult job seekers reentering the workforce. Find out more by visiting the CAPE-Youth webpage on Breaking Barriers: Promoting Inclusive Work-Based Learning and Good Jobs in Massachusetts.
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