Wilmington, DE — On December 7th from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., hundreds of local high school students with disabilities attended a transition conference at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, DE, focusing on their future career and employment goals as well as learning what’s current in transition services for youth with disabilities in Delaware.

Transition services help students with disabilities prepare for postsecondary choices leading to employment which include education, skill development, and supported employment.

Now in its 15th year, the “Shared Work, Shared Vision, Delaware Community of Practice 2016 Transition and Self-Determination Conference” plays a key role in helping students make an informed choice after high school by providing current information through a variety of resources.  This one day – parents, teachers, and organizations – come together to provide resources to help students look to their future career choices and goals.

“All students, including those with disabilities need to develop a career pathway leading to successful employment,” said Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Director Andrea Guest. “The Transition Conference provides tools for self-advocacy and the opportunity for students to learn how to reach their career goals.”

The event’s 17 workshops were shaped around the supportive nature of the transition community: there were topics for students with disabilities, parents, teachers, and Vocational Rehabilitation staff.  Sessions included “Writing Realistic Post School Goals” and “Times, They Are A’ Changing…Assistive Technology for Professionals.”  A financial coach leads the Closing Session.

DVR is committed to providing individualized services to employers and people with disabilities, developing career pathways that link qualified employees to jobs, resulting in greater independence and a more inclusive workplace.  In 2016, DVR placed more than 1,204 people with disabilities into careers and jobs throughout Delaware and the country; more than 300 of those placed were students transitioning from school to employment.

“This type of conference is important now more than ever to prepare students for our global economy,” said DOL Secretary Patrice Gilliam-Johnson. “Students with disabilities need to be prepared by thinking about career planning and employment at earlier ages for many reasons including that people with disabilities often experience barriers to employment.”

The conference is a collaborative effort between the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), the Department of Education (DOE), Division for Visually Impaired (DVI), and the Division of Development Disabilities Services (DDDS) along with a variety of other agencies and organizations.

 

Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Department of Labor has been awarded an $800,000 federal grant to fund the Apprenticeship Delaware project.

The grant is part of a $50.5 million investment in State Expansion Grants to expand apprenticeships across the country in a diverse array of industry sectors. The initiative, called Apprenticeship USA, is part of the Obama Administration’s strategy to grow and diversify apprenticeships. Over the next 18 months, this effort will result in thousands of new apprenticeships in diverse industries, including health care, advanced manufacturing, and information technology, that offer workers not just jobs, but careers.

Through the project, Delaware will develop and launch outreach and marketing strategies to target both employers and potential registered apprentices within the information technology, architecture & construction, health sciences, hospitality & tourism, and manufacturing industries.

“We’re extremely grateful to be awarded this grant as it will help further our efforts to create more career opportunities for Delaware residents,” said Delaware DOL Secretary Patrice Gilliam-Johnson. “It’s these kind of investments in people we need to continue making to keep moving our economy and workforce moving in the right direction.”

The project will serve more than 1,500 Delaware apprentices over the next five years and will also focus on increasing opportunities for women, communities of color, minorities, youth, and people with disabilities.

Apprenticeship Delaware’s expansion efforts will support the goals of the Career Pathways Initiative which seeks to close the “skills gap” between workforce talent and employer demand by providing a path for all Delaware students to continue their education, and successfully maintain a livable wage.

ABOUT THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
The Delaware Department of Labor connects people to jobs, resources, monetary benefits, workplace protections and labor market information to promote financial independence, workplace justice and a strong economy. The department is made up of four divisions:
Division of Unemployment Insurance
Division of Industrial Affairs
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information
The combined efforts of these divisions and offices support the employment-related needs of nearly 400,000 Delaware workers and more than 20,000 businesses throughout the state.

New location will serve as a one-stop facility to better serve the public

Georgetown, DE – Members of the public, be advised the Delaware Department of Labor’s Georgetown facility is relocating to the nearby Georgetown Shopping Plaza.

DOL’s new office is located at 8 Georgetown Plaza, Georgetown, DE 19947 and will open for business Tuesday, October 25.

The last day the current facility at 600 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite 207 in Georgetown will be open is Thursday, October 20.

ABOUT THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Delaware Department of Labor connects people to jobs, resources, monetary benefits, workplace protections and labor market information to promote financial independence, workplace justice and a strong economy. The department is made up of five divisions:

Division of Employment & Training
Division of Unemployment Insurance
Division of Industrial Affairs
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information

The combined efforts of these divisions and offices support the employment-related needs of nearly 400,000 Delaware workers and more than 20,000 businesses throughout the state.

New online tool will support all Delawareans seeking new employment, fits into state effort to help ex-DuPont employees

Wilmington, DE – The United States Department of Labor has announced that it has awarded the Delaware Department of Labor a $693,357 grant to support dislocated workers through the development of a new web-based application that will be integrated into the state’s existing JobLink infrastructure.

The application is being developed as a way to help citizens respond to changes in their own employment and to apply to new opportunities. The impetus for the exploration of this new solution was the downsizing at DuPont earlier this year, though it is expected to be able to be applied for a wide range of uses once developed.

“This new system will be more user friendly and will help individuals think about new ways that they can apply skills they have developed in a previous job,” said Secretary of Labor Patrice Gilliam. “Our rapid response teams at the Department of Labor provide significant support and resources to impacted workers, but we can always do more. It’s particularly important that our online portals are as effective as possible in reaching these individuals and we are excited about taking this next step.”

The state began to explore new ways to enhance these efforts this spring, and the development of a new application that streamlined the process for identifying an employee’s skills and packaging them into a marketable profile that can be targeted towards specific firms quickly became a top priority, leading the state to seek additional funding.

The grant will be used to fund the initial development costs related to the building, testing, and maintenance of the application.

ABOUT THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Delaware Department of Labor connects people to jobs, resources, monetary benefits, workplace protections and labor market information to promote financial independence, workplace justice and a strong economy. The department is made up of five divisions:

Division of Employment & Training

Division of Unemployment Insurance

Division of Industrial Affairs

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information

The combined efforts of these divisions and offices support the employment-related needs of nearly 400,000 Delaware workers and more than 20,000 businesses throughout the state.

Roundtables to discuss Delaware’s progress coincide with announcement of funding won by Markell Administration

Wilmington, DE – U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Sen Tom Carper, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and Delaware DOL Secretary Patrice Gilliam-Johnson met in Wilmington on Oct. 3 to tour local Apprenticeship and Training operations and participate in two roundtables to discuss the program’s progress.

The visit coincides with a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor that Delaware has received a $200,000 federal grant to expand its Apprenticeship and Training operation by integrating the program into local education and workforce systems, engaging industry and other partners to expand apprenticeship to new sectors and new populations and expanding outreach with employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities.

This work builds on efforts spearheaded by Governor Markell’s Administration that provide better pipelines to good jobs, including the TechHire initiative that has more than doubled participants incomes by giving them IT training, as well as the Pathways to Prosperity program, through which 6,000 high school students are on track to graduate with college credit and workplace experience in high-demand fields.

“We’re really excited about the strides we continue to make with our apprenticeship and training program in Delaware,” said Secretary Gilliam-Johnson. “We have seen the value of investments in high-quality workforce training through the success of Delawareans who have participated. And thanks to this grant and the support we’ve received from Senator Coons, Senator Carper, Congressman Carney and U.S. Labor Secretary Perez, we’re able to do even more to create employment opportunities for hard-working Delawareans.”

According to USDOL statistics, 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs, with an average starting wage above $50,000 per year. The return on investment for employers is substantial, as studies indicate that for every dollar spent on apprenticeship, employers receive an average of $1.47 return in increased productivity, reduced waste and greater front-line innovation.

In Delaware the program has produced graduates since the mid 1970’s and currently has nearly 1,100 active registered apprentices in 23 different occupations. There are some 300 active sponsors or employers for these, with the largest numbers stemming from the electrician, plumbing and HVAC trades.

“Enhancing our apprenticeship offerings is one of the best ways to strengthen the quality of our workforce over the long term,” said Governor Markell. “This effort, combined with others like Pathways to Prosperity and TechHire, are helping to ensure Delaware remains competitive in the new economy and that we build on the progress that has led to the best job growth in the region. I welcome Secretary Perez to Delaware today and thank him and our congressional delegation for their support for these programs.”

The majority of apprenticeships are four years in length, with the participants receiving 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. For each year of training, a minimum of 144 hours of related instruction is required. Upon completion of the required on-the-job training and related instruction, the apprentice is eligible for “journey papers.” A journeyperson is nationally recognized as having a well-rounded ability in all phases of his or her trade.

Schedule of events

Apprenticeship Tour and Roundtable

What: Secretary Perez, will participate in an apprenticeship roundtable with Senator Carper, Senator Coons, Delaware Secretary of Labor Gilliam-Johnson, elected officials, community leaders and Apprenticeship program participants.

When: 10–11:30 am

Where: RC Fabrication, 824 Locust Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

***

Tech Hire Tour

What: Secretary Perez, Sen. Coons, Delaware Secretary of Labor Gilliam-Johnson, and business and community leaders will participate in a tour of Zip Code. They also will take part in a coding competition where they are put different teams of students competing against each other’s coding abilities.

When:  11:45am – 12:00pm

Where:  Zip Code, 1105 N. Market Street, 3^rd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801

 

APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING WEEK

President Barack Obama proclaimed the week of November 2, 2015, as the first Annual National Apprenticeship Week. This year, the second Annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place November 14-20, 2016 NAW offers Registered Apprenticeship Sponsors the opportunity to showcase their programs, facilities, and apprentices, and gives Employers, Education, Industry Associations, Labor, Elected officials and other critical partners the opportunity to highlight how Registered Apprenticeship meets their needs for a skilled workforce.

 

Here’s video of Senator Coons highlighting Delaware Apprenticeship programs to mark National Apprenticeship Week:

https://youtu.be/xDtau3ZlqD0

 

ABOUT THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Delaware Department of Labor connects people to jobs, resources, monetary benefits, workplace protections and labor market information to promote financial independence, workplace justice and a strong economy. The department is made up of five divisions:

Division of Employment & Training

Division of Unemployment Insurance

Division of Industrial Affairs

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information

The combined efforts of these divisions and offices support the employment-related needs of nearly 400,000 Delaware workers and more than 20,000 businesses throughout the state.