ERIC Number: ED540089
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Approaches to Job Development. Research Report
Ipsen, Catherine
Rural Institute
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies provide a range of services to help people with disabilities become employed. How services are delivered, however, depends on several factors including client interests and abilities as well as economic opportunities within the local community. For better or worse, rural and urban clients face vastly different employment landscapes. For instance, USDA Economic Resource Service data indicate that rural people earn lower wages and experience lower employment rates (ERS, 2012). Rural counties also have fewer full-time jobs per capita, particularly in skilled labor sectors. Urban areas have higher employment rates in professional and managerial positions, while rural communities have higher rates in blue collar and resource based occupations characterized by limited benefits and less opportunity for advancement. Additionally, rural counties have a higher percentage of very small firms compared to urban counties. This economic variation requires different employment strategies for rural and urban clients. Recently, the authors conducted a national qualitative study to better understand how VR agencies approach rural employment with their clients. This factsheet focuses on informant comments related to the rural employment landscape and VR approaches to overcoming barriers and developing jobs for rural clients.
Descriptors: Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, Rural Areas, Economic Opportunities, Employment Patterns, Urban Areas, Counties, Wages, Rural Population, Job Development, Skilled Workers, Blue Collar Occupations, Career Development, Interviews, On the Job Training, Rehabilitation Counseling, Self Employment, Community Attitudes, Community Relations, Employers
Rural Institute. University of Montana, 700 SW Higgins Avenue Suite 250, Missoula, MT 59803. Tel: 800-732-0323; Tel: 406-243-5467; Fax: 406-243-4730; e-mail: rural@ruralinstitute.umt.edu; Web site: http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS)
Authoring Institution: University of Montana, Rural Institute
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A