Company Meeting Title

1
Veterans with Disabilities Heroes Leading
Assistive Technology Presented by Dana
Marlowe, Senior Vice President of Business
Development
2
Overview

• TecAccess Introduction
• DVET Training Program
• The Impact
• How to Emulate
• Summary

3
TecAccess
Accessibility Workforce Solutions
Comprehensive Accessibility Programs Testing,
Training, Remediation

• Results
• Tap into New Markets
• Expand Consumer Base
• Avoid Litigation
• Maximize ROI

Workforce Solutions Staff Augmentation, Veteran
Re-Training and Placement, Career Planning
DVET
Targeted Market Research Focus Groups, Usability
Studies, Marketing for Targeted Demographics
4
Current Climate

• Over 6 million veterans have a disability.
• (2006 American Community Survey)
• Over 700,000 are unemployed in any given month.
  For those who are employed, they are drastically
  underemployed.
• Over 200,000 annually will flood the civilian job
  market as they leave the military in coming years
  (Dept. of Labor).
• Over 14 billion in public funds are invested
  each year in the training and education of
  service members
• (Dept. of Defense).

5
Market Need

• Impact
• 92 of consumers feel more favorable toward
  companies that hire employees with disabilities.
• 73 of businesses report no cost for
  accommodations.
• Hiring people with disabilities ranks 3rd as an
  indicator of a companys commitment to social
  justice.
• Employees with disabilities retained on average
  50 longer than traditional workers.
• Reduced turnover -- estimated cost of a single
  turnover is 93-200 of annual salary.

• Aging workforce.
• Increase in labor and skill demands.
• Employers are looking for new ways to tap into
  all potential employees to remain competitive.
• At the very same time, veterans with
  disabilities are drastically unemployed and
  underemployed, especially in the IT arena.
• There is a clear dual need.

5
6
Filling the Dual Need
7
DVET How it Began

• First-of-its-kind pilot program, initially
  launched in Virginia in 2007.
• DVET has grown into a nationwide endeavor.
• DVET is designed to ensure that veterans receive
  support, job training, and placement. 
• Driven by a dynamic partnership Virginia Dept.
  of Veteran Services, Dept. of Rehabilitative
  Services, Virginia Employment Commission, and
  TecAccess.    

8
How It Works
IMPACT This partnership offers an innovative
approach to increasing employment for Virginia's
disabled veterans, guaranteeing participants
professional training and employment with
TecAccess." --Governor Tim Kaine

• TecAccess was awarded a contract to establish a
  program to train and directly employ Virginias
  Disabled Veterans (DVET) to become for example
• IT Professionals
• Procurement Specialists
• Web Designers
• Program Managers
• Business Analysts
• .

9
Applying DVET to the Accessibility Field

• As the DVET program progressed, government
• agencies and system integrators became interested
  
• in veterans with disabilities working in
  accessibility roles.
• Example, the VA IT Accessibility Standard,
  modeled after Section 508.
• As a result, TecAccess began to train veterans to
  serve as EIT accessibility specialists to meet
  the growing demand.

10
Student Entrance Process
Employer Recruiting
You are identified as a Qualified Candidate
TecAccess Interview with DVET Program Manager or
Recruiter
Employer Interview Arranged-You travel or they
will travel to you
Interview Scheduled
Employer Reviews Resume
You Prepare Updated Resume
Start Job/Follow Along Support
1. Job offered-you must complete training! 2.
Employer assigns you a sponsor 3. Schedule
agreed-10 Hrs/week minimum you may be able
to test out some courses 4. Hire date with
employer determined 5. You sign Student
Agreement Start training
Employer determines you are good candidate
for their company
Yes
Graduate!
No
TecAccess
TecAccess seeks new Employer
TecAccess provides Mentoring and Advisory
Services throughout the program
11
DVET Training Model

• DVET provides Assistive Technology to students.
    
• The DVET opportunity provides
• Training in assistive technology
• Professional Mentoring
• Specialized Counseling
• Job Training
• Motivation   

12
What Makes DVET Work

• Veterans with disabilities face challenges, both
  physical and mental.
• Current job training programs fail due to the
  chasm between providing the training and a
  definite job offer at the end of the training.
• To solve this challenge DVET provides a mixture
  of
• Online/virtual training from the veterans home
• Powered by Steve Jacobs and the IDEAL Group
• In-person/follow along support in a unique career
  field
• Job placement

13
What Makes DVET Work continued

• This telecommuting model allows DVET participants
  to
• obtain employment in a safe environment
• excel in an environment that is sensitive to the
  changes they are experiencing
• DVET model helps transition their skills and
  accommodate their special needs in the workplace.

14
What Makes DVET Work continued

• Benefits both veterans w/ disabilities and the
  hiring organization.
• Measured by the successful employment of veterans
  w/ disabilities in a job with a competitive
  salary/growth.
• This collaboration is a classic opportunity to
  match a supplyveterans with disabilities looking
  for an exciting career, with a demandthe ever
  increasing need for skilled IT professionals.

15
Employers Benefit from DVET

• Businesses and government agencies working with
  DVET are receiving a highly skilled employee
  base. 
• Organizations who hire newly trained veterans are
  finding that veterans w/ disabilities are
• loyal employees
• self-motivated
• intelligent
• hardworking

16
DVET Findings

• This pool of potential employees have already
  demonstrated their willingness to persevere under
  difficult circumstances.
• Veterans with disabilities are well prepared to
  excel in the workplace.
• Veterans are
• more loyal
• productive employees
• highly value their jobs

17
RESULTS

• DVET is more than a training module.
• A proven means of transitioning veterans with
  disabilities from war zones or welfare into
  high-paying civilian careers with full benefits.
• Substantial savings.

18
DVET RESULTS continued

• Demonstrates commitment
• High paying jobs with full
• benefits
• Creates synergy
• Veteran friendly environment

19
DVET RESULTS continued

• Personal Stories

Students Raymond Kenney PVA/DVET Liaison
Jonathon Ballard Project Manager
Horace Booker Emergency Dispatch Trainer
Instructors Rosemary Musachio Lead
Instructor
20
DVET Expansion

• The DVET model for the State of Virginia can and
  is being exported for all companies nationwide
• Sustainable Model
• Easily Transferable
• Examples ManTech and CSC

21
How To Emulate DVET

• Customize for each individual to accommodate
  various disabilities and modalities of
  instruction to train veterans anywhere.
• Tele-work model.
• Assistive technology equipment.

22
Making DVET Work for Others

• Understand the special challenges faced by
  persons with disabilities training for new
  careers.
• Understand the personal challenges faced when it
  comes to getting effective training for new
  careers.
• Understand the factors that influence hiring
  managers to hesitate when extending job offers to
  this audience.

23
Finding a Win-Win

• Public-private partnerships like DVET can
  benefit
• The government organizations that own the
  problem.
• The veterans with disabilities that need training
  and employment.
• The companies facing increasing demand for
  skilled, accessibility and certified IT workers.

24
Hiring Veterans with Disabilities

• Provide supports as they transition back to
  civilian life.
• Look for ways to establish a bridge.
• Engage in training opportunities.

25
Hiring Veterans with Disabilities

• Look within your organization.
• Highlight their success in your corporate culture
  and internal/external communications efforts.
• Create customized accommodations (which do not
  have to be expensive).
• Provide transition support.

26
Conclusion

• Using this methodology we all can
• Minimize much of the negative impact of
  disability on veterans lives.
• Allow government and industry to play a direct
  role in increasing the quality and diversity of
  their workforce and honoring the veterans for
  their sacrifice.
• Engage the newly disabled person early in their
  rehabilitation process.
• Support veterans for the sacrifices they have
  made for our country.

27
Conclusion

• Under the DVET model, industry and government
  directly give back to Service Disabled Veterans.
• At the same time, industry and government receive
  highly trained employees in the accessibility
  field.
• Service Disabled Veterans are now becoming
  integrated back into Americas workforce.

28
Questions

• Dana Marlowe
• Senior Vice President
• Rockville Commerce Center
• 2410 Granite Ridge Road
• Rockville, VA 23146
• [phone] - Direct
• [phone] - Office
• [phone] - Fax
• dmarlowe_at_tecaccess.net

These training and employment opportunities are
far superior to many other programs designed to
help persons with disabilitieswe fully expect
that this program will serve as a model for
future programs that will address training and
employment for disabled veterans.  --Vincent
M. Burgess, Commissioner of Department of
Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of
Virginia