2012 Make-It-Work Program Fairfax County, Virginia

1. The
2012 Make-It-Work Program
Fairfax County, Virginia

2. An Unique Opportunity
Fairfax County’s 2012 Make-It-Work
Program has been made possible by
generous funding through the 2011
CPSHR/IPMA-HR Innovation Grant.
Thank You!

3. Cause for Action
• People with disabilities experience significantly higher
underemployment and unemployment rates than their
peers without disabilities.
• As of June 2011, only 21% of people with disabilities were
in the workforce, as compared to 70% of people without
disabilities.
• Without meaningful employment, people with disabilities
may struggle to live independently in the community.
• The Make-It-Work Program targets this discrepancy and
aims to increase students’ overall competitiveness in the
job market.

4. The Make It Work Program
• A collaborative partnership between
Fairfax County Virginia (Department of
Human Resources) and Fairfax County
Public Schools (FCPS) that offers paid part-
time internships to FCPS students with a
disability.
• It provides students an opportunity to
acquire entry-level job skills leading to
successful employment.

5. Who Is Doing It?
A Government/School Partnership:
AND
Fairfax County Fairfax County
Department of Public Schools
Human Resources (FCPS) Career
(Employment and Transition
Division) Services (CTS)

6. The Process—Coordinated Roles
• Through each stage of
the Make-It-Work
Program, each partner
fulfills unique roles that
required ongoing
coordination.
• Continuous
communication fuels the
entire program.

7. Partnership Responsibilities
School Employer
• Work skills instruction • Identify positions
• Job analysis • Interview students
• Job matching
• Provide training and
• Support and follow-up
supervision
• Transportation
• Student performance • Evaluate student
evaluations performance
• Disability awareness • Provide on-going
training communication and
• On-going communication collaboration
and collaboration

8. Internship Levels
• Level One: Unpaid Work
Experience
• Students acquire general employment
skills
• Level Two: Unpaid Internship
• Students develop skills for entry-level
competitive positions
• Level Three: Paid Internship
• Students possessing required
work skills and abilities interview
for time-limited internships that
may lead to full time employment

9. Program Overview
• Total Grant Award: $25,000
• Grant Period: One calendar
year (January 2012 –
December 2012)
• 10 part-time positions
(without benefits)
• 10 positions from Human
Resource Department were
deployed to hosting
agencies/departments

10. Program Overview (cont.)
• Hourly compensation: $9.00/hour
• Length of internships: Ranged
from 6 months to 11 months
• Weekly work schedules balanced
student availability with agency
needs
• Typical # of scheduled work hours
per week: 10 hours

11. Make It Work: Benefits
Why?
Benefits to Business
• Create a pool of potential employees
• Reduce training costs through access to a well-
prepared workforce
• Assist schools in developing a relevant teaching
curriculum (job preparation)
• Participate in a student’s education and training

12. Make It Work: Benefits
Why?
Benefits to Business
• Sense of satisfaction from helping young people
• Strengthen ties to the community
• Receive support of experienced school staff
members throughout all phases of the internship
• Provides county staff with the experience of working
with a student who has a disability

13. Make it Work: Benefits
Why?
Benefits to School
• Establish a strong working relationship with local
government offices
• Create a curriculum based on current employment
standards
• Offer students the opportunity to train in a business
setting
• Assist students in developing entry-level competitive
skills in a business setting
• Help students explore a variety of career options

14. Make it Work: Benefits
Why?
Benefits to Students
• Determine job preferences and strengths
• Learn work skills and increase competencies in real
work settings
• Develop a work history and a resume
• Understand and model the attributes of an effective
and productive employee
• Build self-confidence
• Create a smooth transition from school to work
• Expose students to the county and its operations—
augmenting their formal education
• Expose the students to how local government works

15. About Our Interns
• 21 resumes received from interested students representing
16 schools across the county.
• Of the 10 selected, seven of the interns were graduating
seniors and worked through August. Three of the interns
will work through December when the grant ends.

16. Where Were the Internships?
The 2012 Make-It-Work interns were housed
within the following departments/agencies
across the county:
•Community Services Board – Human Resources
•Community Services Board – Infant and Toddler Connection
•Dept. of Administration for Human Services – Alcohol Safety Action
Program
•Dept. of Health – Environmental Health Division
•Dept. of Housing and Community Development – Human
Resources, Rental Services

17. Where Were the Internships?
The 2012 Make-It-Work interns were housed
within the following departments/agencies
across the county:
•Dept. of Human Resources – Employment Division
•Dept. of Neighborhood and Community Services – James Lee
Community Center
•Dept. of Public Works and Environmental Services – Capital
Facilities Division
•Dept. of Vehicle Services
•Police Dept. – Administrative Support Bureau

18. Student Responsibilities
Arrive for work when scheduled
Perform all duties as assigned
Adhere to office policies
Communicate with supervisor
Ask questions
Dress appropriately
Participate in evaluation process
Attend career enhancement
workshops

19. Sample Job Duties
 Assembling mailings
 Checking email
 Copying
 Data entry
 Filing
 Light automotive mechanics
 Reception desk coverage
 Updating Excel spreadsheets
 Updating Microsoft Word documents

20. Acquired Skills and Abilities
 Ability to work on a team
 Communication skills
 Computer skills
 Interpersonal skills
 Organizational skills
 Task management skills
 Time management skills

21. Applied Life Skills
• Building a •Transportation logistics
resume
•Bureaucracy of
• Applying for jobs with government agencies
Fairfax County
•Evaluations
• Interviewing skills
•Direct deposit
• Acceptance/
rejection

22. Steps in the Process
1) Grant Awarded
2) Program Networking
3) Outreach and Promotion
4) Job Analysis

23. Steps in the Process (cont.)
5) Job Matching
6) Interviews
7) Selection
8) Determine Start Date

24. Steps in the Process (cont.)
9) Hiring/Onboarding Process
10) Orientation/First day
11) On-Site Training
12) On-Going Evaluation
13) Recognition Ceremony

25. Lessons Learned

26. Lessons Learned

27. Lessons Learned

28. Lessons Learned
=

29. Lessons Learned

30. Lessons Learned

31. Lessons Learned

32. Lessons Learned

33. Lessons Learned
• This model requires lots of staff
time and many players to manage.

34. Lessons Learned

35. Lessons Learned

36. Lessons Learned

37. Lessons Learned

38. Lessons Learned

39. Lessons Learned

40. Lessons Learned

41. Evaluation Process
Two Concurrent Evaluation
Tracks:
•Student Evaluation
•Program Evaluation

42. Next Steps
Assessing the Value of
the Internship:
•Exit survey of students
•Follow-up survey in one
year

43. Future Plans
Growing the Program:
•Seeking additional sources
of funding
•Exploring internal
alternatives

44. Identify Reasonable
Accommodations
• Accommodations must be provided as necessary to
qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to
perform the essential functions of the job.
• The accommodations should not create an undue
hardship on the employer.
• Examples might include providing equipment
modifications or assistive technology, division of tasks
among employees, changing work hours or schedules,
modification of job tasks.
Note:
No accommodations were needed in our program.

45. Relevant Resources
• Job Accommodation Network -
http://www.jan.wvu.edu
JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of
workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment
providers, people with disabilities, their family members and
other interested parties with information on job
accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects.
• Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/
ODEP, an agency within the US Department of Labor, provides
national leadership to increase employment opportunities for
adults and youth with disabilities.

46. Job Accommodation Network

47. Disability Disclosure
• It is up to the person to disclose their
disability
• Accommodations do not have to be
provided if the person has not disclosed
their disability
• While other colleagues may be aware of
the accommodations, they are not
entitled to know why

48. Tips for Success
Have desk/computer set up ahead of
time
Make the students feel welcome
Include them in relevant meetings and
department social activities

49. Tips for Success
Show them how their work relates to the
“big picture”
Have a check-in meeting with the
student weekly to assign work and go
over any issues
Give the student explicit instructions,
including who to contact in your absence

50. Tips for Success
Stop by their desk occasionally to check
in
Get to know them personally
Make sure there is sufficient workload
Have a back-up plan for work

51. Strategies
Clearly define expectations
Teach step by step
Provide consistent structure and
repetition

52. Strategies
Use accommodations (alarm, visual
timer, picture checklist)
Avoid overly supporting student
Allow student to make choices

53. We Made-It-Work
And So Can You…
Make-It-Work Toolkit is available on our website.

54. 2012
Make-It-Work Program
“This is about people.”
--Fairfax County Host Agency 2012

55. Questions & Answers