Toyotetsu Texas, Inc. (TTTX), in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), celebrates its inaugural internship class participating in a state-wide fee-for-service contract to purchase and deliver services to pay wages and associated taxes and fees (wage services) for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) participants placed in paid work experience (PWE).

Work-based learning is defined as participation in work activities in real work settings to help individuals with disabilities learn about possible fields of interest and gain soft and hard skills through hands-on exposure. The objective of PWE is to increase work-based learning opportunities through Texas’ integrated workforce system for VR participants who are students with disabilities, thereby providing them with foundational employment skills and better preparing them for successful transition to postsecondary education and employment.

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Alberto “Albert” Treviño, III as the Texas Workforce Commission’s new Commissioner Representing Labor.

“I am honored to serve the interests of 14 million Texans as the Commissioner Representing Labor,” said Commissioner Treviño. “I look forward to working with staff and my fellow Commissioners to continue making Texas the best place to live and work.”

AUSTIN – TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez announced he will depart from the Texas Workforce Commission effective December 15, 2022. Commissioner Alvarez was appointed as Commissioner Representing Labor by Governor Abbott in February 2016, and reappointed in March 2017, to represent the interests of Texas workers.

“It has been a pleasure to serve as the Commissioner Representing Labor of the Texas Workforce Commission for two terms. I am truly humbled and honored to have been given the opportunity to serve you and this great state of Texas,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “I truly have enjoyed the opportunity to develop impactful and innovative initiatives benefitting both our constituents and employers.”

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announces the kickoff of this year’s Summer Earn and Learn (SEAL) program for students with disabilities aged 14-22. Through work-based learning, youth earn a paycheck while learning new skills and gaining professional experience. Employers participating in SEAL benefit from the addition of engaged and enthusiastic team members.

SEAL, a partnership between TWC, Workforce Solutions Boards and Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWS-VRS), works with local employers who partner to create meaningful work opportunities. Students participating in SEAL attend work readiness training to prepare them for successful employment. During their work-based learning, students earn a paycheck while acquiring new skills and professional experiences.

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DeafBlind Awareness Week was first celebrated in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation in recognition of the birth of Helen Keller. Since then, DeafBlind Awareness Week has been used as a time to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the DeafBlind community, while also recognizing the work still to be done.

Celebrate DeafBlindness Awareness Week! (govdelivery.com)

For more than thirty years, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has led the campaign for Brain Injury Awareness Month.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month (govdelivery.com)

Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness of the integral role people with developmental disabilities play in our society and to rededicate ourselves to the cause of inclusion.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (govdelivery.com)

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month

Governor Abbott issued a proclamation declaring October to be Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) in Texas. He encourages all Texans to commit to “promoting disability employment awareness, creating more inclusive workplaces, and cultivating more employment opportunities for Texans with disabilities.” A diverse, inclusive economy is a strong economy.

Each October, Texas celebrates DEAM with job fairs, public awareness events, and a statewide #HireAbility campaign to promote employment opportunities for Texans with disabilities. As part of the public awareness campaign, we partner with the Texas Workforce Commission to distribute free DEAM posters to thousands of Texas employers and businesses to educate them on the talents and abilities of workers with disabilities, while sharing valuable employer resources through the HireAbility website.  While things may look different this year, the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) is excited to take this time to uplift stories of excellence in hiring people with disabilities and spotlight outstanding work by a talented Texas artist with a disability.

2020 Disability Employment Awareness Month Poster

GCPD is proud to reveal the winner of this year’s Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) poster competition! The posters are intended to spark conversations on the employment of people with disabilities in businesses and organizations across the Lone Star State.

We received many beautiful pieces of art from all over Texas, and Dinah Rodriguez of McAllen was selected as our winner. Dinah’s piece, We See Things Differently, is a dynamic, abstract piece that serves to highlight the importance of including different perspectives. While legally blind, Dinah is a talented artist who practices in multiple mediums. She publishes her artwork to different sites where she sells them on rugs, mugs, and more! She created a children’s book and three coloring books, all of which can be found online and in bookstores in McAllen. Art, she says, has helped her find peace and happiness since a very young age.

2020 Disability Employment Awareness Month Poster

Dinah notes that Texas Workforce Solutions- Vocational Rehabilitation Services were instrumental in helping her develop independence, both as an artist and as a legally blind person. With their encouragement, she entered the 2020 DEAM poster competition and says she is delighted to have been selected as the winner. She hopes that others with a disability see that “…being different doesn’t mean we can’t provide for ourselves! We love what we are gifted to do, and there is no stopping us from succeeding.”

To request a free copy of this year’s poster, connect with GCPD through the contact link below with the subject line “DEAM Poster.” Be sure to provide us with a U.S.P.S. mailing address. Posters are available free of charge while supplies last. You can also download and print your own version at our website.

Request a Free DEAM Poster

Statewide DEAM Events

DEAM doesn’t stop with a poster! TWC is celebrating all month long with a variety of fun, informative Texas HireAbility events. Check out a brief sampling below and be sure to go to the Texas HireAbility website for the full listing.

Wednesday, October 14th

• Disability Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Solutions Cameron County, and Workforce Solutions Lower Rio will be hosting a DisABILITY Employer Awareness Virtual Pre-conference Kickoff from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  Join industry leaders are they share their stories in how they have been successful in creating pathways to employment for people with disabilities!
• Workforce Solutions Heart of Texas Region and VR Region 3 will be hosting a “Walk-N-Roll Job Fair” from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Jose Palacios or Jonathan Mize for more information.

Tuesday, October 20th

• Workforce Solutions West Central Texas will be hosting a Facebook live from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. They will hold short, information sessions on transition services for students. No registration is necessary.
• The 20th Annual South Plains Career Expo will be held from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The largest of its kind in West Texas, over 150 employers will be in attendance. Students will be able to see the amazing diversity of career opportunities in the region, as well as the skills and education needed to pursue those careers.

Thursday, October 22nd

• Workforce Solutions Lower Rio will be hosting a HireAbility Job Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 
• Workforce Solutions Cameron will be hosting an NDEAM Virtual Forum from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Register to attend and for more information.

The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source.

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