Career Advancement: Department of Rehabilitation clients are not limited to “entry-level” jobs

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal law that made some changes to how states provide vocational rehabilitation services. Based on the WIOA, the California regulations have been updated to remove the term “entry-level” and now include “advanced training,” so that individuals can maximize their career potential and achieve competitive wages through the help of DOR.

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Sometimes clients of the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) are told that DOR can only help with “entry-level” employment. This used to be part of the law, but it is no longer true.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal law that made some changes to how states provide vocational rehabilitation services. Based on the WIOA, the California regulations have been updated to remove the term “entry-level” and now include “advanced training,” so that individuals can maximize their career potential and achieve competitive wages through the help of DOR.

What did the law used to say about entry-level?

The term “entry-level” had been in the regulation about training services (9 C.C.R. Section 7154). This regulation used to say that DOR should only provide training services for two reasons:

To facilitate achievement of the job goal.
To prepare a client for suitable employment at the entry level.

What does the law say now?

The regulation was updated to remove the term “entry level” and it was replaced with the term “competitive integrated employment.” It also added “advanced training.” This is a positive change because it clarifies that DOR should provide training services to help an individual reach their IPE goal. This can include advanced training, such as an undergraduate, graduate or doctorate level degree. This is what the new law says:

Training services shall be provided only to the extent necessary to accomplish either or both of the following:
1. Facilitate achievement of the vocational objective.
2. Prepare an individual with the skills and abilities necessary to be a competitive candidate for competitive integrated employment.
Advanced training may be provided in, but not limited to, a field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (including computer science), medicine, law, or business;

The selection of training services shall be based on the needs of the individual and the timeliness, availability, and cost of training.

Any training facility which is equipped to meet the special training needs of individual and meets the standards set forth in chapter 3, subchapter 7 of these regulations may be used.

Additional Guidance

Here is some technical assistance guidance from the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Management (VRTAC-QM) which also clarifies that DOR should not limit clients to just entry level jobs:

“…The VR program is not intended solely to place individuals with disabilities in entry-level jobs but rather to assist them to obtain appropriate employment, given their unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. The extent to which VR agencies should assist eligible individuals to advance in their careers by providing VR services depends upon whether the individual has achieved employment that is consistent with this standard.”

For any questions or concerns regarding DOR, you may contact our intake line at 1-800-776-5746.