As Election Day draws near, much of the campaign debate has centered on the unemployment rate. The August figures from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division indicate a 9.7 percent unemployment rate in the state and an 11.1 percent rate for Beaufort County.
For people with disabilities, these figures can be even more difficult to overcome.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working hard to match people with disabilities to potential employers. During one 12-month period encompassing parts of 2011 and 2012, 6,716 people with disabilities were able to find “meaningful employment,” an increase of 7 percent from the previous year.
“Governor Perdue’s top priority is getting people back to work,” said division Director Linda Harrington in a news release. “That’s our central mission, providing to all our consumers the needed counseling, training, education or other services to get them ready to work. We can then match them up with businesses’ needs, saving the employer time and money.”
In addition to prescreening applicants, the DVRS “provides continuing, no-cost follow-up consultation to make sure the employee and job remain a good match.”
Employers, who are compensated for providing on-the-job-training, have the option to hire trainees as regular employee. They also receive tax incentives for hiring people with disabilities.
It’s truly a win-win situation for all involved.
To find out more, call 252-946-0051 or visit www.ncdhhs.gov/dvrs.