Resources Partners

State Partners

Many state agency partners provide counseling, evaluation, training, and other services to individuals with disabilities and employers. These agencies can assist you with information and resources related to recruiting, accommodations, effective retention strategies, legal compliance, staff training, and more. In addition, some of these agencies have employment training programs and can be good recruitment resources as well.

State Agency Partners

Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MNCDHH)
MNCDHH advocates for equal opportunity of Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. They work with the community to identify barriers to equal opportunity, develop solutions, empower by building community capacity, and advocate for solutions through civic engagement.

Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (MnDDC)
MnDDC provides information, resources, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity and self determination, integration and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Minnesota Department of Human Services' Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS)
DHHS provides information, resources, and empowerment opportunities to help Minnesotans who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing and their family to effectively access service in their communities.

Minnesota STAR Program
A System of Technology to Achieve Results (STAR) is located within the Minnesota Department of Administration. STAR's mission is to help all Minnesotans with disabilities gain access to and acquire the assistive technology they need to live, learn, work and play.

State Services for the Blind (SSB)
SSB, a division of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), provides services to individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or DeafBlind to live and work as independently as possible. SSB also works with employers to match workforce needs with qualified graduates from their program and screen candidates at your worksite. Additionally, they can provide assistance with retaining staff that may be experiencing vision loss. SSB's placement services are at no cost to the employer.

Minnesota Diversity Councils

The Minnesota Diversity Councils are state agencies that make recommendations to the governor and legislature on matters that impact their constituencies, and serve as liaisons between state government and community members they represent.

Building and fostering a relationship with the Minnesota Diversity Councils can be a great way to increase your workforce diversity and positively impact the communities that they serve.

• Minnesota State Council on Disability
• Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs
• Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans
• Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage
• Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU)

Community Partners

Seek collaborative relationships with local and national community partners to improve outreach and access to employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Local Resources

ACCESS Press - Minnesota's Disability Community News Source
ACCESS Press's mission is to promote the social inclusion and legal rights of people with disabilities by providing a forum for news, features, opinions, and conversation to benefit people who are often invisible and marginalized in mainstream society. Issues include current news and discussion related to disability issues in the community, a calendar of events, and a directory of disability organizations. Employment ads may be placed in ACCESS Press for a fee.

MN College & University Career Counselors
Organization serving for college career services professionals.

Minnesota Association of College and Employers (MN ACE)
Join this group to meet and network with college career counselors. This group brings together educational and employment representatives who are involved in career development and employment of college students, including those with disabilities.

National Resources

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, representing the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. To reach out to both youth and adult job seekers with disabilities, email your job announcement to AAPD; they will post your company's name, position location, position title, and a link to your position description on their website.

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
AHEAD is a professional association committed to the full participation of persons with disabilities in post-secondary education. Its website provides contact information for Disability Services Advisors at colleges and universities across the nation, which can be useful to employers seeking job candidates in a specific area. Many Disability Services Offices keep a list of students and recent graduates with disabilities who are looking for employment.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
ASAN provides consulting services to assist companies and agencies with including autistic individuals in diversity employment programs and providing workplace accommodations.

Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD)
COSD is a national professional association comprised of more than 600 colleges and universities and over 500 major national employers. Its Career Gateway program offers a nationwide online job posting and college students resume database system for students with disabilities. For employers committed to including disability as part of their diversity efforts, COSD Career Gateway is a vital pipeline to future members of the workforce.

DisABLEDperson
DisABLEDperson is a nonprofit public foundation that provides an online employment recruitment service for individuals and veterans with disabilities. They work closely with employers to make their job openings available to individuals with disabilities, and with disability rights organizations and State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies from across the country. Employers and individuals create an online account to post jobs and to search for current job openings.

Disability.gov
Disability.gov is the Federal Government Web site for comprehensive information about disability-related programs, services, policies, laws and regulations. The site links to thousands of resources for employers and job seekers from many different federal government agencies, as well as state and local governments and nonprofit organizations across the country. The site has an "Employment" page with resources for recruiting and hiring individuals with disabilities, a link to State vocational rehabilitation agencies across the country, information on reasonable accommodation and job support, job boards connecting employers to job seekers with disabilities, and other pertinent information.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN)
EARN is a free, web-based service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates. The website is a one-stop source for disability employment information, including recruiting services, tools and resources, employer success stories, and the business case for hiring people with disabilities.

Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)
KASA members serve as advisors to the more than 40,000 members of Family Voices across the country and organizations and agencies interested in promoting youth involvement and leadership. KASA's large listserv of young people with disabilities can be a ready distribution mechanism for your job announcements.

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
The mission of the NFB is the complete integration of the blind into society including the workforce. One way of doing this is by providing employers access to resources and information such as lists of Braille resources and the latest assistive technologies, and offering Web accessibility certifications.

National Organization on Disability (NOD)
NOD provides technical assistance and can help federal contractors with setting utilization goals, collecting data, and reaching out to sourcing agencies and disability service providers. Its subject matter experts, with knowledge acquired through the Bridges to Business initiative and other programs, possess considerable experience and expertise in employer disability processes and procedures, among other things, and can help employers change processes for the entire employment life cycle.

National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. (NTI)
NTI has a technology assisted method of finding job applicants with disabilities for federal contractors and other companies seeking qualified workers. According to NTI, it has used this technique for six years to fill jobs for companies and federal agencies who want to find qualified home-based individuals with disabilities for virtual customer service jobs. They are expanding the use of this method to filling traditional on-site jobs. Partnering with major staffing agencies, federal contractors and Fortune 500 companies, NTI's "The Staffing Connection" program places Americans with disabilities in on-site positions. NTI has access to the national database of 11.5 million Americans receiving Social Security disability benefits.

National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)
The NYLN promotes leadership development, education, employment, independent living, and health and wellness among young leaders representing the diversity of race, ethnicity and disability in the U. S. NYLN's large listserv of young people with disabilities can be a ready distribution mechanism for your job announcements.

Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) Employment First Program
The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private sector employers nationwide with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs.

Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) Add Us In Initiative
Add Us In is a new initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The initiative is designed to identify and develop strategies to increase employment opportunities within the small business community for individuals with disabilities. Included within the small business community are targeted businesses that are owned and operated by minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, women, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Ticket to Work Employment Networks
The Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program supports career development for people with disabilities who want to work. This program, through Employment Network (EN) providers and State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, coordinates and provides appropriate services to help social security beneficiaries find and maintain employment. These services may be training, career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, job placement, and ongoing support services necessary to achieve a work goal.

Workforce Recruitment Program
The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a free resource through which private businesses and federal agencies nationwide can identify qualified temporary and permanent candidates from a variety of professional fields. Applicants are highly motivated post-secondary students and recent graduates eager to prove their abilities in the workforce.

Training and Guides

Additional Resources

Below are examples of ways state agencies have leveraged local and national resources to improve the recruitment and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Hiring for Youth Employment Programs

The State of Minnesota has partnered with two of the Twin Cities premier youth employment programs - Right Track (St. Paul) and STEP-UP Achieve (Minneapolis) - to further our efforts in developing a pipeline of diverse talent to meet our future workforce needs.

Right Track and STEP-UP Achieve recruit, train, and place over 700 talented, low-income youth each year with top local companies and public agencies. These opportunities help our local youth explore diverse career interests, gain valuable skills, make professional connections, and prepare them for meaningful careers. The deadline to participate as an employer for the summer is April of each year. Visit the programs' websites for exact deadlines.

Make a pledge to hire one or more youth this summer through Right Track (St. Paul) and/or STEP-UP Achieve (Minneapolis). Together, we can be part of building the next generation of talented and dedicated state employees!

• Gain access to the diverse talent pipeline of work-ready, skilled youth
• Introduce diverse youth to state employment
• Bring fresh ideas, energy, and creativity to your workplace
• Offer the satisfaction of transforming a young life and giving back to our community
• Provide opportunities for employee growth through the experience of supervising program participants

• Agencies provide 6-10 weeks of paid employment at $15.00 or more per hour.
• Employment must occur between certain weeks of the summer between June and August.
  
• Agencies must be located in St. Paul (Right Track), Minneapolis (STEP-UP Achieve), or easily accessible by public transportation (STEP-UP Achieve).
• Participants are matched with jobs based on their interests and skills and the needs of the employer.
• Participants can perform a wide range of tasks including customer service, event planning, tech support, research, filing, project support, data entry, and more.
• All participants receive work readiness training before starting their placements.
• Program staff will work closely with participants and employers to provide support and ensure success.

• Visit Right Track's website (for students living in St. Paul) and the Step-Up / Achieve Mpls website for more details about getting started.
  

• Appointment Type: Participants in Right Track or STEP-UP Achieve may be hired as emergency or temporary employees in the classified service, unclassified service, or for non-status positions such as interns.
• Classification: The classification of a pledged position is at the discretion of the agency, but must be held to the same job audit and documentation standards as any other position. Participants currently enrolled in secondary or post-secondary programs may be hired as student workers or interns. In order to be hired as an intern, the hired participant must be receiving academic credit or their academic program must require an internship.
• Posting Requirements: While agency staff is able to interview candidates, due to the nature of the program, the agencies will not publicly post vacancies pledged to Right Track or STEP-UP Achieve. Per Minnesota Administrative Rule 3900.3200 and A.P 9B, the State of Minnesota is required to provide public notice of all unlimited classified vacancies; however, temporary vacancies do not require public notice unless the applicable bargaining agreement language states otherwise.
• Wages: Positions pledged for Right Track or STEP-UP Achieve must be paid positions. Agencies may not use volunteer or otherwise unpaid positions for these programs. These programs require that hired participants be paid a minimum of $15.00 an hour. Right Track and STEP-UP Achieve do not impose a wage limit on pledged positions. The salary range should be applied based on the job classification chosen for the assignment.
• Labor Laws: As with all appointments, agencies must follow all applicable state and federal labor laws for pledged positions. When hiring participants under the age of eighteen, agency HR staff should be mindful of laws outlining child labor restrictions on matters such as allowable work times of day or hours in a work week.

If you have questions about the program in general, contact the State Director of Equal Opportunity, ADA, Diversity and Inclusion.

Hiring for Internships and Student Worker Programs

Intern and student worker opportunities are a great way to develop the next generation of State employees. These opportunities provide students with invaluable on-the-job experience while introducing them to state government and the diverse career opportunities we offer.

In order to be hired for an intern appointment, students must be receiving academic credit for the experience from their school. Student worker appointments are open to secondary or post-secondary students. Unlike intern appointments, students do not have to be receiving academic credit, but you must maintain their student status.

Recruiting for Fellowships, Internships, and Student Worker Programs

Additionally, encourage staff members (particularly those with disabilities) to participate in campus visits, recruiting events, and networking sessions to recruit students with disabilities.

Online job search websites Most of job search engines (i.e. Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com) have a section of their websites that focus on diversity jobs. Depending on the website, the information can vary from a list of employers who have a positive track record hiring people of diverse backgrounds to a listing of open positions at companies that are encouraging applicants of diverse backgrounds. The diversity sections of these websites are not always disability specific. 

Professional organizations and publications Target professional organizations and publications directed to student with disabilities. Such organizations can be found by contacting disability student service offices at colleges and universities, and Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies.
Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) Co-sponsored by the U. S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and the U. S. Department of Defense, the WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal sector, private, and non-profit employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are ready to prove their abilities in summer or permanent jobs. 

Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) Funded by ODEP, EARN is a free, web-based service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates. The website is a one-stop source for disability employment information, including recruiting services, tools and resources, employer success stories, and the business case for hiring people with disabilities. 

National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) The NYLN promotes leadership development, education, employment, independent living, and health and wellness among young leaders representing the diversity of race, ethnicity and disability in the U. S. NYLN's large listserv of young people with disabilities can be a ready distribution mechanism for your job announcements. 

Kids As Self Advocates (KASA) KASA members serve as advisors to the more than 40,000 members of Family Voices across the country and organizations and agencies interested in promoting youth involvement and leadership. KASA's large listserv of young people with disabilities can be a ready distribution mechanism for your job announcements. 

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) AHEAD is a professional association committed to the full participation of persons with disabilities in post-secondary education. Its website provides contact information for Disability Services Advisors at colleges and universities across the nation, which can be useful to employers seeking job candidates in a specific area. Many Disability Services Offices keep a list of students and recent graduates with disabilities who are looking for employment. 

Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD) Through its Career Gateway Database, COSD provides a web-based forum where employers can search for qualified candidates, and graduating college and university students can post their resumes. 

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, representing the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. To reach out to both youth and adult job seekers with disabilities, email your job announcement to AAPD; they will post your company's name, position location, position title, and a link to your position description on their website.

Using Email Lists

• Be open to the general public.
• Be open for a minimum of one week from the day it is emailed to MMB. This gives the diversity organizations/contacts time to distribute the job announcement to their community members and job seekers time to apply.
• Include a job title, location of the position, closing date, and job posting link. The posting link must be in the following syntax to ensure it opens successfully: https://statejobs.doer.state.mn.us/JobPosting/View?-posting=put posting number here.

• Job Title: Agency Policy Specialist
• Working Title: Commercial Business Specialist
• Agency: Department of Commerce
  
• Location: St. Paul
  
• Closing date: 03/10/2014
• Posting link: https://statejobs.doer.state.mn.us/JobPosting/View?-posting=10MMB000062

Getting Involved with ACCESS

The purpose of ACCESS is to create and maintain a statewide diversity/affirmative action system designed to ensure that diversity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action best practices are designed and implemented to achieve the goal of attracting, recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce that is truly representative of Minnesota's diversity.

In light of this purpose and working to make the state an employer of first choice, we pledge that:

• We are committed to collaborating with each other and the Human Resource Director Partnership (HRDP) on agency issues that affect diversity, affirmative action, and equal opportunity.
• We are committed to identifying, developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies to create and maintain a diverse workforce for the State of Minnesota.
• We will encourage and practice the use of resource (time, talents, and money) pooling while working to achieve our common goals.
• We will respect the uniqueness of individual agencies (both large and small); and encourage the use of innovative ideas and experimentation.

Joining the State of Minnesota Recruiters Group