Grant Overview: The Regional Apprenticeship Development & Readiness (RADAR) grant serves individuals 18+ who live, work, or receive training throughout an 11-county region. RADAR staff prioritizes supporting people with ADA-defined disabilities, and assisting with Pre-Apprenticeship training as well as supportive service needs. Upon completion, participants will receive assistance with job readiness and placement into a Registered Apprenticeship program.

Job Duties: The Placement Coordinator will conduct assessment interviews and determine program eligibility; conduct intakes for applicable clients; identify supportive service needs and provide support or make referrals to the appropriate agencies; develop an individualized service plan to identify education/ training and career goals; assist with placement in Pre-Apprenticeship training programs; consistently follow up with program participants; track demographic data to support grant progress; assist with job placement into Registered Apprenticeship programs upon completion of education/training; attend grant-related events; develop social media outreach; meet with employers and supportive service agencies to build connections and refer participants

Job Qualifications: Experience working with people with disabilities and disadvantaged backgrounds; experience in employee training and job placement; knowledge of Apprenticeships; strong understanding of employer workplace dynamics; proven leader in the development of workforce strategies customized to target markets; Bachelor’s Degree

Send resumes to kbetti@working-solutions.org

Listen to Project Director Sommer Edwards' recent interview on Talk of the Town. Sommer talks about the Workforce Development Board's Regional Apprenticeship Development and Readiness (RADAR) grant Project as well as the free supports and services we provide to job seekers and more... 

"The Department of Social Services (DSS) referred a customer to Working Solutions when applying for Public Assistance. The customer had been out of work since 2016, spent time in the justice system, and the customer's driver's license had been revoked.

"I worked with the customer to create a resume, and then to obtain an On-The-Job Training (OJT) position.

"With the help of supportive services, we took the customer shopping and purchased clothing for the new job, paid for a taxi for 4 weeks to get to and from work, as well as pay for the revocation fee to start the process of getting the customer's driver's license back.

"The customer has been employed with this employer for 4 weeks and is doing very well."

On Wednesday, April 19th, the WDB's Regional Apprenticeship Development and Readiness (RADAR) grant Project Director Sommer Edwards and NY Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network (SCION) Grant Disability Resource Coordinator Nicole Sortino presented for the virtual Apprenticeship Building American (ABA) Peer-to-Peer Exchange ensuring Equitable pathways through Pre-Apprenticeship leading to Registered Apprenticeship enrollment.

The focus of the event was to educate ABA Category 3 grantees throughout the country on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, specifically as it pertains to hiring people with disabilities.

Sommer and Nicole provided a beginners overview with regard to the American Disability Act, and what a disability is in accordance with the ADA – see link https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm.

They also provided employment and accommodation statistics to further emphasize the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Did you know there are 15.1 million people of working age living with disabilities in the U.S., so the research suggests that if companies embrace disability inclusion, they will gain access to a new talent pool of more than 10.7 million people! Nicole provided a great resource for grantees and other workforce agencies to share with employers who inquiring about the benefits of hiring a person with a disability, and the resources that would be available to them – see link https://opwdd.ny.gov/community-involvement/about-employability.

"Prior to working on the Regional Apprenticeship Development and Readiness (RADAR) grant, I to was faced with many of the same questions employers and workforce agencies have today," says Sommer. "It wasn’t until I took a deeper dive into the excess of resources and statistics available to us that I was able to fully grasp the benefits of hiring a person with a disability.

"This group of individuals has been an untapped talent pool for years and still is. Through programs like RADAR and NYSCION, as well as partnerships within our community, I believe we will be able to make huge strides in addressing the workforce needs of both the employer and the job seeker through reasonable accommodations and informational sessions such as this."

"The ABA Peer-to-Peer Exchange was an excellent platform to discuss NY Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network (NYSCION) grant, as well as the positive impact of inclusivity in the workplace," says Nicole. "It is crucial to educate service providers on the difficulties people with disabilities face while receiving benefits as they attempt to re-enter the workforce. By empowering our communities with the Ticket to Work program, local Career Centers and Registered Apprenticeships can bring a new, and much needed labor force to the workplace."

The Workforce Development Board's (WDB) Digital Customer Service Training that took place in February was a tremendous success. Out of the 18 participants, 14 to date are now gainfully employed. with three participants having secured employment with the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS). Jessica Watson of CABVI was the course instructor, and the WDB's Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC) Nicole Sortino served as the Success Coach for the participants, and our Business Representative Caitlin McSorley coordinated with businesses, guiding low-income individuals from training to employment.

Wages can be reimbursed at 50% up to $25 an hour for six months of on-the-job training (OJT) with minimum paperwork. The undirected funding provides many benefits for small to medium-sized manufacturing companies and ensures the apprentice is trained in accordance with the company’s standards and procedures.

If you would like to know how your company can take advantage of this funding or know of a company that would benefit, please contact Meghan McBennett at mmcbennett@working-solutions.org.

The Workforce Development Board, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida Counties, Inc. (WDB HMO), is hosting a website called “Connect Mohawk Valley” that allows local businesses to post their internships and part-time job opportunities for students for free.

Students, you can view and apply to them in one central repository. And you can sign up to get notified right away when a new opportunity is posted.

Simply text HMO to 315-470-0055 or use the QR Code below:

DYK the WDB also has a Facebook page where we'll be featuring news about our grant learning programs and incentives. Please Like/Follow us and share our posts to get the word out about these great programs! https://www.facebook.com/WDBHMO

You can also follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hmowdb/

Do you have something you'd like to share? A hiring event, learning/training opportunity, announcement, community news, program news, staff news, success story or personal achievement? Photos are always welcome! Please email Jodi Delapaz,

Communications Coordinator:

info@working-solutions.org|