Work Toolkit:
Employment First is a movement for change that presumes all people, even people with complex support needs, can work in competitive, integrated employment. Instead of non-inclusive, segregated settings, Employment First calls on public entities to work together to make meaningful employment, fair wages, and career advancement the priority for people with disabilities.
All roles in the E1MN partnership are responsible for working together to implement Employment First.
1. Watch the "What is Employment First?" video below by RTC Media (3 minutes)
2. Read the Minnesota Employment First Policy (PDF) (10 minutes)
Click on the questions below to reflect on what you've learned about Employment First (5 minutes).
Select an answer:
Correct! Competitive, integrated employment is the term used to describe employment that is in the community, paid at least minimum wage, and often comes with benefits such as health insurance.
Congregate employment, facility-based employment, and workshop employment are terms that describe employment that is often not performed in the community, pays less than minimum wage, and often does not come with benefits such as health insurance.
Incorrect. Workshop employment is a term that describes employment that is often not performed in the community, pays less than minimum wage, and often does not come with benefits such as health insurance.
Incorrect. Facility-based employment is a term that describes employment that is often not performed in the community, pays less than minimum wage, and often does not come with benefits such as health insurance.
Incorrect. Congregate employment is a term that describes employment that is often not performed in the community, pays less than minimum wage, and often does not come with benefits such as health insurance.
Select an answer:
Incorrect. Day programs support people to develop and maintain essential and personally enriching life skills so they can access and participate in activities they prefer in their community. These programs are not focused on employment or earning money.
Correct! Day programs support people to develop and maintain essential and personally enriching life skills so they can access and participate in activities they prefer in their community. These programs are not focused on employment or earning money.
Select an answer:
Incorrect. All of the answer options are actions that a state may take to implement Employment First. A state that is serious about making this change will do more than one of these actions and may invest money to build capacity for community employment services.
Incorrect. All of the answer options are actions that a state may take to implement Employment First. A state that is serious about making this change will do more than one of these actions and may invest money to build capacity for community employment services.
Incorrect. All of the answer options are actions that a state may take to implement Employment First. A state that is serious about making this change will do more than one of these actions and may invest money to build capacity for community employment services.
Correct! All of the answer options are actions that a state may take to implement Employment First. A state that is serious about making this change will do more than one of these actions and may invest money to build capacity for community employment services.
Select an answer:
Incorrect. Employment First is based on the idea that all people with disabilities who want to have a job in their community should have one. Ultimately, it is the person’s choice where they will work if at all.
Correct! Employment First is based on the idea that all people with disabilities who want to have a job in their community should have one. Ultimately, it is the person’s choice where they will work if at all.
Select an answer:
Incorrect. If you compare the list of answer options to the list of Guiding Principles on page 2 of Minnesota’s Employment First Policy you’ll see the only correct option is “Employment is prioritized as an outcome of services and supports.”
Correct! “Employment is prioritized as an outcome of services and supports” is the only answer option that is a guiding principle of Employment First, as listed on page 2 of Minnesota’s Employment First Policy.
Incorrect. If you compare the list of answer options to the list of Guiding Principles on page 2 of Minnesota’s Employment First Policy you’ll see the only correct option is “Employment is prioritized as an outcome of services and supports.”
Incorrect. If you compare the list of answer options to the list of Guiding Principles on page 2 of Minnesota’s Employment First Policy you’ll see the only correct option is “Employment is prioritized as an outcome of services and supports.”
