IT Accessibility Review
Volume 1, Number 12
State of the States
TecAccess - Disabled Veterans, Public-Private Collaboration Leads to Careers for All
The Commonwealth is home to 740,000 veterans who have served the cause of freedom in war and in peace, at home and abroad. The newly launched Disabled Veterans (DVET) program is designed to ensure that these veterans receive the support, job training, and recognition they have earned through such service and sacrifice. This one-of-a-kind initiative is driven by a dynamic partnership between the Department of Veteran Services, Department of Rehabilitative Services, Virginia Employment Commission and TecAccess a Virginia business that has received awards from the U.S. Department of Labor for training and hiring employees with disabilities.
Governor Tim Kaine has directed all state agencies to identify opportunities to partner with the Department of Veterans Services on ways to offer new, expanded, or customized services that meet the needs of Virginias veterans, especially those now living with disabilities. The award-winning DVET program is an example of such collaboration. "This partnership offers an innovative approach to increasing employment for Virginia´s disabled veterans, guaranteeing participants professional training and employment with TecAccess," states Governor Kaine. "I fully support the DVET program and encourage more public and private sector collaboration towards such innovative solutions for Virginias veterans."
Vincent M. Burgess, Commissioner of Department of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia, further explains, "The DVET program dovetails perfectly with Governor Kaines Executive Order 19, which directs State agencies to work together to enhance services to veterans, especially disabled veterans. The DVET program provides disabled veterans with meaningful training and employment. These training and employment opportunities are far superior to many other programs designed to help persons with disabilities. We look forward to partnering with TecAccess and the DVET program, and we fully expect that this program will serve as a model for future programs that will address training and employment for disabled veterans."
To ensure the future success of this public-private collaboration, the DVET program implements a unique training model that provides Assistive Technology (AT), such as screen readers and voice-activated controls, for unique learning opportunities. DVET boasts a proven telecommuting model that can be used from the veterans place of business, home, rehabilitation facility or hospital bed. The DVET opportunity, the first of its kind in the nation, is unique in that it provides:
- Training in assistive technology
- Professional Mentoring
- Specialized Counseling
- Job training in a wide array of IT skills, as well as call centers and project management
- The motivation that a competitively paid and respected job is at the end of the program
The outcome of the DVET training program ultimately benefits both the disabled veteran and the hiring organization by empowering disabled veterans to leverage their unique and newly marketable qualifications. The success of the DVET program is measured by the successful employment for the disabled veteran in a job or profession with a competitive salary and growth opportunity.
"This collaboration is a classic opportunity to match a supply disabled veterans looking for an exciting career, with a demand the ever increasing need for skilled IT professionals it is a great formula for the "win/win" we always seek," says James Rothrock, Commissioner Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) for the Commonwealth of Virginia. "DRS is excited and proud to be working with our disabled veterans, who have already given so much to our nation."
Virginia based businesses and government agencies anticipate a highly skilled employee base as disabled veterans throughout the Commonwealth participate and graduate from the DVET training program. Organizations who hire newly trained veterans will find that disabled veterans are loyal employees and are self-motivated, intelligent, and hardworking. Despite newly acquired disabilities, this pool of potential employees have already demonstrated their willingness to persevere under difficult circumstances and are therefore well prepared to excel in the workplace. Research has shown that veterans with disabilities are more loyal and productive employees, and they highly value their jobs and the opportunity they have been given to make a difference. What the employer gains in return is access to unique skill sets and qualifications.
The Commonwealth of Virginia serves as a leading example of forward thinking States that are investing time and resources in training disabled veterans. As a result, Virginia looks forward to creating careers for heroes over the years ahead.
For more information, please visit DVET.
