Today, VR Horizons announced plans to host a recurring blog series examining the impact and evolving requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The VR Horizons WIOA Series is designed to provide VR professionals with the latest news and information regarding WIOA implementation, interpretations and best practices.
The series will be hosted by Ralph Vigil, the former Director for the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and currently the chief evangelist for the VR Scorecard initiative at Alliance Enterprises. Ralph is currently assisting VR Agencies as they implement new programs such as the Common Metrics, Employment Measures and Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS) all major topics of interest surrounding WIOA.
The blog series will help VR professionals navigate the changes outlined in WIOA. Ralph brings over 30 years of experience in managing VR programs having served the national VR program, through the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation as co-chairman of the Employment Committee and the Region 6 Representative.
WIOA is one of largest initiative of changes facing the VR industry since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Lisa Gifford, Director of Strategy at Alliance, commented, “Ralph is leading Alliance’s Aware customers through the multitude of changes and requirements surrounding the WIOA Act. In partnering with VR Horizons, we hope to make our expanding body of WIOA knowledge available to VR professionals across the nation. The discussions taking place should be highly beneficial to anyone touched by VR not just Aware users.”
Visit the VR Horizons website to read Ralph’s spotlight series featuring varied topics and issues of WIOA at, http://www.vrhorizons.com/communications/blog/category/spotlight.
About VR Horizons- VR Horizons is an online community for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) professionals and consumers to connect, learn and share experiences. VR Horizons is a free online source that provides a database of resources, a place to connect with others and the leader in discussing the latest topics in the VR industry.
About Alliance Enterprises– Founded in 1981, Alliance has a rich history of providing business leaders and innovators with market leading enterprise case management and performance management software solutions. Alliance’s Aware Case Management solution currently serves over 10,000 users nationwide, while the company’s new Summit line of performance management solutions is breaking new ground by integrating proven management best practices with modern-day business gamification mechanics.
About The VR Scorecard Initiative– The VR Scorecard Initiative is a working collaboration of VR Agencies and suppliers to draft a common set of metrics as required by the WIOA Act.
About the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act– The WIOA act, signed into law in July of 2014, is aimed at strengthening and modernizing America’s workforce, with a specific attention to helping people with disabilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals with disabilities have the highest rate of unemployment of any group, and more than two-thirds do not participate in the workforce at all. The law is expected to take two years to implement and is imposing significant changes and new requirements to the public Vocational Rehabilitation system and its service providers.