Employment First Massachusetts

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We Believe

  • Everyone can work.
  • Everyone has the right to earn a living wage in a job of their choosing, based on their unique talents, gifts, skills, and interests.
  • Employment is a way for people to achieve their personal dreams of success, respect, control, and choice.
  • Having a job can be an important part of one’s self-identity and value in society today.
  • Everyone should be paid at least minimum wage.
Massachusetts Interagency Transtion Teams

Interested in knowing more about interagency transition teams in Massachusetts? check out the Massachusetts Interagency Transition Teams database, compiled by the MPTE Cross-Systems Collaboration team

Life Course in Action

LifeCourse in Action

Resources to envision and chart a course toward a good life.

MPTE

The Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment (MPTE) is a five-year project to improve labor market participation for youth and young adults served by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

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Current Trainings

Wednesday, January 15;
Wednesday, January 22;
2025
9am-12pm EST

Job Coaching and Teaching Strategies (2 sessions)

Supporting individuals to be successful at their jobs is not as easy as it sounds. It requires many skills including, excellent communication, maintaining relationships with multiple team members (including employers), knowledge about accommodations and assistive technology, and effectively assisting individuals with various disabilities to learn and master new tasks. Join us for this interactive virtual 2-session training to learn best practices and strategies needed to support individuals in meeting their employment goals. Topics include: the role of the job coach, natural supports and social inclusion, systematic instruction, job maintenance and self-management techniques, as well as fading and behavioral support strategies.

Participants should attend both sessions to get the most out of this training series. Letters of completion will be provided to those who attend both training sessions.

Location: Zoom (email with training details and zoom link will be sent out the week of the event date)

Register Today!

Online

Cost: FREE


Session 1: September 11
Session 2: October 9
Session 3: November 13
Session 4: December 11
Session 5: January 8
Session 6: Feb 12
Session 7: March 12
Session 8: April 9
Session 9: May 14
Session 10: June 11
Session 11: July 9

12-1 PM EST

LifeCourse in Action Series

NEXT:

Mapping Relationships with the CTLC Tools

Join us on Wednesday, February 12 at 12pm for an interactive session on relationship mapping using Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) tools. Nancy Willey will show how families can use this tool to bring peace of mind as they go forward in future planning. This tool can help provide reassurance to loved ones and families and can expand across the lifespan as our loved ones have new experiences, jobs, and community involvement.

Presenter: Nancy Willey, Family Support Manager, Berkshire County Arc


March:

Creating a Vision with Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC)

Join us on Wednesday, March 12 at 12pm for our next LifeCourse in Action webinar. In this webinar, Creating a Vision with CtLC, presenters Haran Phaneuf, Regional Coordinator of the Central Family Leadership Program in Multicultural Community Services, and Amanda Purchase Training Technician in Learning and Development from Central/West DDS will explore how to use Charting the LifeCourse to set clear, actionable goals for the future. You will learn how the LifeCourse Trajectory and Support Star can complement each other when developing a vision. Through practical examples, you will leave equipped to create a roadmap that reflects your unique needs and values.


Register to attend any training in this series

Online

Cost: FREE


March 5 and March 12,
9am-12pm EST

Strategies for Discovery and Career Planning (2 sessions)

It's more important than ever for job seekers to prepare and plan for entering or re-entering the workforce. In this training, participants will learn how to coordinate and implement person-centered planning strategies during these challenging times. This 2-session online training will cover strategies to assess job seekers' employment goals, abilities, interests, and capacities.
These sessions will cover the following topics:

  • identifying personal and family networks
  • developing vocational profiles and schedules
  • evaluating situational assessments
  • creating 30-Day Placement Plans
  • using Discovery to identify vocational goals and maximize information gathering

You must attend both training sessions to receive a Letter of Completion.

Online

Cost: FREE


Wednesday
March 19, 2025
9:30am-10:30am EST

Webinar: Creative Strategies for Showcasing Job Seekers Beyond Traditional Resumes

Have you noticed that a resume isn't always the best tool to highlight a job seeker's potential? In fact, traditional resumes can often leave employers with more questions and hesitations. What can employment professionals do instead?

Join our upcoming webinar to:

  • learn how to creatively represent job seekers with disabilities to employers
  • discover how to leverage visual and video resumes to showcase positive work attributes effectively
  • explore customized employment strategies that not only meet business's needs but empower job seekers

Location: Zoom (email with training details and zoom link will be sent out the week of the event date)

Register Today!

For more information, contact Lara Enein at lara.enein@umb.edu

Online

Cost: FREE


Wednesdays: April 2nd, 9th, and 16th
9am-12pm EST

Job Development and Business Engagement Online Training Series (3 sessions)

Developing job opportunities and finding the right job match in an ever-changing economic environment places increasing demands on employment professionals. This three-session online training series focuses on understanding employer needs and developing quality job matches.

Topics include employer networking; marketing to employers and responding to objections; using social media and other tools to market the job seeker, identifying unmet business needs; dealing with disclosure; and job carving and creation. Staff should attend all 3 sessions to get the most out of this training series. Topical areas will carry-over to next session if needed. Letters of completion will be provided upon completion of all 3 training sessions.

Captioning has been requested but will be cancelled if no requests have been received by March 19, 2025

Contact for questions: Jill Eastman jill.eastman@umb.edu

Online

Cost: FREE


Wednesdays: May 21st and 28th
9am-12pm EST

Job Coaching and Teaching Strategies (2 sessions)

Supporting people to be successful at their jobs is not as easy as it sounds. It requires many skills, including, excellent communication, maintaining relationships with multiple team members (including employers), knowledge about accommodations and assistive technology, and effectively assisting individuals with various disabilities to learn and master new tasks.

Join us for this interactive, virtual 2-session training to learn best practices and strategies needed to support individuals in meeting their employment goals. Topics include:

  • the role of the job coach
  • natural supports and social inclusion
  • systematic instruction
  • job maintenance and self-management techniques
  • fading and behavioral support strategies

Participants should attend both sessions to get the most out of this training series. Letters of completion will be provided to those who attend both training sessions.

Contact for questions: Jill Eastman jill.eastman@umb.edu

Online

Cost: FREE


Ongoing

Foundations of Community Employment

This course is a great starting point for new staff to gain a solid foundation for their work in the field and for current staff to build on the skills and knowledge they already have. Staff will get an overview of the past and present community employment, understand the social, political, and economic changes leading to the expansion of opportunities for individuals with disabilities and learn how to collaborate with team stakeholders

Please contact Lara Enein at lara.enein@umb.edu with any questions.

Online

Cost: FREE