Progressive Employment Training Modules

Progressive Employment is a dual customer strategy that is designed to promote engagement and employment outcomes through work-based learning activities that meet the needs of jobseekers and employers.

Developed in Vermont, Progressive Employment embodies the belief that “everyone is ready for something” on the pathway to employment. Through coordinated activities such as informational interviews, job shadows, paid work experience and more, individuals with barriers to employment – including limited work history – gain access to new skills and local businesses while employers meet a new talent pool to meet their workforce needs at low or no risk.

Progressive Employment is unique because of its collaborative team approach. At biweekly “Jobsville” meetings, VR Counselors, Community Rehabilitation Providers, Business Account Managers and others join together to make referrals, discuss progress and share labor market intelligence.

Since its launch in Maine in 2015, Progressive Employment has quickly gained traction and is now available statewide for both youth and adult jobseekers. Research developed during the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Rehabilitation Services Administration-funded Transition Work-Based Learning Model Demonstration Grant (CFDA 84.421B, 2016-2021) have added to the national findings on the effectiveness of the model.

Curriculum Use

The curriculum modules below were developed in part through that grant in collaboration with the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. More information about Progressive Employment and their research on the model may be found at https://www.explorevr.org/.

The modules are intended to provide a foundational introduction to the Progressive Employment model. Vocational Rehabilitation staff and Community Rehabilitation Providers who participate in Jobsville are required to complete the modules prior to engaging in delivery of services.

The VR Progressive Employment Team can provide additional coaching and training to meet individual need. Please call 1-855-ALL-WORK for more information or contact your local VR office.

Modules

Training Sessions 1-4 with captioning: https://icimedia.wistia.com/projects/iieeg7bohj#
Note: You must click on CC and select English to enable captioning.

Trainer Information is provided for each session. This includes:

  • A recording for each of the 4 sessions.
    • In each session, you are instructed to pause the recording to discuss:
      • Polling questions
      • Exercises to do with trainees.
    • Fieldwork assignments after sessions 1-3.
    • Trainer Info on Exercises for each session, and

Note: There are 2 optional exercises intended to give the trainee Jobsville exposure. Jobsville is a critical component of the Progressive Employment Model. Ideally, your trainees should observe or participate in a Real Jobsville meeting, but if this is not possible, use the 2 optional exercises to provide the “Mock Jobsville” experience. These occur in Sessions 2 & 4, but again are optional, if real Jobsville exposure is possible.