Briefing: Model Employer Plan
Gov. Deval Patrick recently unveiled a new state plan aimed at making Massachusetts a model employer for people with disabilities. The plan is based on a framework laid out by the federal Equal Opportunity and Employment Commission and is designed to improve the recruitment and retention of state workers with disabilities.
What does the plan do?
The plan is focused on the 45,000-person workforce within the executive branch of the state government and is considered an “implementation strategy” for the disability portion of Patrick’s executive order on diversity and affirmative action that was issued two years ago.
What did that executive order say?
Patrick’s executive order demanded that all state agencies develop and implement affirmative action and diversity plans to achieve the following results: identify and eliminate discriminatory barriers in the workplace; remedy the effects of past discriminatory practices; and identify, recruit, hire, develop, promote and retain employees who are members of under-represented groups.
How does the plan work?
The plan targets the outreach, recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion of people with disabilities and is an improvement over current practices within the Human Resource Division. The plan will also put in place a centralized process and fund for supporting reasonable accommodations people may need.
How is Central Massachusetts involved?
The governor announced that the state will collaborate with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester and will make $2.5 million in funding available for five regional employment partnerships dedicated to improving private sector employment of people with disabilities. The funding comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
What is already being done?
Currently, as part of a new internship program focused on youth with disabilities, 18 college and high school students are working in state agencies, including the Governor’s Office. Elsewhere, focus groups around the state are getting the word out about the new outreach program.
Click here to read the entire model employer plan.
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