Equitable Transition Models: Improving employment opportunities for disabled youth

As 2025 begins to ramp up, so do the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) Equitable Transition Model (ETM) demonstration grants.

Awarded in April 2024 to four state agencies-the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Departments of Labor in Connecticut and New York-the ETM grants will support the development of innovative, scalable strategies for removing barriers to employment for multiply marginalized young people with disabilities ages 14 to 24.

The Connecticut Department of Labor is bringing together state and local workforce development partners to create an accredited training program that allows youth to earn wages while participating in work-based learning. In New York, the state Department of Labor is working with its local partners in community centers to identify and serve young people with disabilities who may not have otherwise received work readiness training or other youth services.

The Kansas Department of Commerce is teaming up with school districts across the state to recruit young people with disabilities to participate in youth leadership development activities, not only training youth but extending professional development training to staff, too. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is working in rural areas of the state to help young people with disabilities and their families get the comprehensive youth services and training they need to attain educational/skills training credentials and succeed in the workforce.

The grantees' pilot phase projects kicked off in January 2025 and will expand to include other local workforce development partners across each state over the course of their five-year grants. Ultimately, the ETM demonstration grants will help states increase their capacity to improve employment outcomes for young people with disabilities. For more information on the ETM grants, check out the Equitable Transition Model Demonstration Grant page.

Lydia Parenteau, Yufanyi Nshom and Janet Brown are policy advisors in the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.