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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Employment First

    Pennsylvania aims to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Act 36 of 2018 or the Employment First Act will provide training, education, and support services to help individuals reach their personal goals. The Governor's Cabinet for People with Disabilities, otherwise known as the Employment First Cabinet, meets quarterly and releases an annual progress report on Pennsylvania's implementation of Act 36.

    Employment First requires any group receiving public funding to ensure that employment is the main focus for education, training, or support services for anyone with a disability who is eligible to work. Also, the Cabinet for People with Disabilities and the Employment First Oversight Commission will review regulations and policies to recommend improvements and ensure the success of the initiative.

    The initial three-year plan outlines recommendations to implement Employment First to improve employment outcomes for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.

    The 2019 Annual Report from the Employment First Oversight Commission outlines recommendations and establishes measurable goals and objectives.

    The commonwealth is committed to making data-informed decisions with the utmost transparency in collaboration with communities impacted by the policies implemented. By putting forth this public-facing data, the commonwealth seeks to increase awareness of the statewide successes and challenges related to the competitive integrated employment of individuals with disabilities. To access these databases, please visit the Employment First Statewide Cabinet Report Dashboard and the Employment First OVR Cabinet Report Dashboard for more information.

    Documents & Reports: