Summary: In this episode you can hear how the Hershey Company is setting a new standard of excellence in hiring individuals with disabilities. And our show today is all about how they brought this great program online.<br> Episode 004 Transcript<br> Transcribed by Cameron Payne Scott<br> The VR Workforce Studio: inspiration, education, and affirmation at work.<br> Welcome to the VR Workforce Studio: education, inspiration, and affirmation at work! We’re bringing you the stories of individuals with disabilities who are in or preparing to be part of the workforce in Virginia. And we’re celebrating not only the champions of business and industry that hire individuals with disabilities, but also the vocational rehabilitation professionals who’ve dedicated their lives and careers to creating hope and a path forward to employment so individuals with disabilities can work and lead more fulfilling lives while building Virginia’s workforce and moving our economy forward.<br> This is Episode No. 4. We are thrilled and delighted that you’ve joined us for this podcast! And on today’s show, from our Business Industry and Employer Gateway category, the sweet story of the Hershey Company’s HEROS Program. This great company, in my opinion, is setting a new standard of excellence in hiring individuals with disabilities. And our show today is all about how they brought this great program online.<br> Also, a little interesting, we are tackling some technical challenges today: bringing in offsite guests from two different locations. So, here’s the rundown. First, we have a very distinguished panel from Hershey, their Senior HR Manager at the Stuart’s Draft, VA plant Karen Van Curen; also, the plant’s Site Operations Manager Mike Sever and employee Mike Thompson, who was also a Hero-Program participant. Now, they are remote from a meeting with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development. This is a very high-level board, and they meet all over the state. But today, they are at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. The Virginia Board of Workforce Development: now listen to this. They are a business-led board that acts as the principal advisor to the Governor of Virginia. They also provide strategic leadership to the state regarding the workforce development system and its efforts to create a strong workforce aligned with employer needs.<br> So one of the key parts of their meeting is hearing about how our state VR agency, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center are working with Hershey. Now, just a side note: a key advisor for workforce development, Elizabeth Creamer, who works for the Secretary of Commerce and Trade in the McAuliffe Administration, is at the meeting and will be on this podcast in an upcoming episode to discuss the context for workforce and give us some big-picture oversights. And we’ll also drill down into some of the key issues for individuals with disabilities and those who employ individuals with disabilities. The big-picture view right now, things like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA). There are some key things going on. We’ve had 24 separate workforce development plans administered by 8 state agencies in the past. That all, under WIOA, becomes a single plan. And what’s exciting to me is to see that individuals with disabilities and folks like VR professionals really have a seat at the table in this discussion as we move forward.<br> Also, Executive Order No. 23 from Governor McAuliffe, talking about a million-and-a-half jobs coming online in the next few years, how we’re going to train and credential folks to take on the challenges of the future. And I tell you, individuals with disabilities are key in that conversation. So, we’re going to talk about that with Elizabeth (Creamer).<br> Also, we’ll get into OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance [Programs]) and those 503 regulations. Now,
