Nebraska VR Where your future begins

CPAP 2.0

Nebraska VR was awarded a Career Pathways Advancement Project (CPAP 2.0) grant through the Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA). The grant began October 2021 and will continue through June 2026. CPAP 2.0 represents the next evolution of Vocational Rehabilitation by proactively improving the likelihood of economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities through an aggressive campaign of outreach, recruitment, and services to support advancement in the high demand jobs/career pathways of:

• Administrative Support
• Construction
• Healthcare
• Lodging
• Manufacturing
• Professional Sales
• Restaurant & Food/Beverage Service
• Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL)

The project builds off a previous Nebraska Career Pathways Advancement Project grant which promoted upskilling/backfilling and advancing incumbent workers with disabilities which ended June 2021. A proven Upskill/Backfill business model will be used to create opportunities for former VR eligible individuals to advance in their careers and provide new opportunities for other VR eligible individuals to backfill the vacant positions. Allowing new VR eligible individuals to enter a career pathway of their interest with opportunities for advancement.

CPAP 2.0 Goals:

• Assist businesses to develop a well-trained workforce.
• Support VR eligible individuals with disabilities to advance in high-demand, high quality careers by developing career pathways focused on career advancement.
• Build internal/state system capacity providing career advancement services.
• Increase access to postsecondary education and training opportunities that provide the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment providing for economic self-sufficiency.

Business Outreach:

CPAP 2.0 staff will provide outreach to over 400 businesses to assist in addressing the business workforce needs and providing for a well-trained staff. Businesses who provide employment opportunities in the career pathways of Architecture/Construction, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL). Businesses can refer their incumbent workers with challenges which results in a disability, to assist the employee in upskilling through advancement opportunities. After the employee is trained and advances with the company, CPAP 2.0 staff assist the business to fill the position vacated due to the advancement. This allows for additional individuals with a disability to be hired, trained and reduces onboarding and training cost for the business.

Client Outreach:

CPAP 2.0 staff will be contacting Nebraska VR clients who had cases closed with successful employment in the years 2017 through 2020 in the career pathways of Administrative Support, Construction, Healthcare, Lodging, Manufacturing, Professional Sales, Restaurant & Food Beverage/Service, and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) to discuss advancement opportunities. CPAP 2.0 provides clients with the opportunity to access needed services and supports such as post-secondary education, apprenticeships, short-term industry specific and/or on-the-job training. This provides the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment for economic self-sufficiency.