The Montana/Wyoming Careers through Partnerships Project is funded with Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funds by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by the Montana Job Training Partnership, Inc. in partnership with the Rural Institute Training Department. The project's philosophy embraces customer choice and self-determination, and promotes community-based partnerships and supported employment methods.

The following is a menu of services and activities available to participants:

• Person-Centered Career Planning
• Situational Assessment
• Job Search Assistance/Job Carving
• Basic Education or Occupational Skills Training
• Entrepreneurial/Microbusiness Development
• Job Readiness/Career Preparation
• Life Skills Training
• On-the-Job Training
• Job Coaching
• Supportive Services

Project Objectives

Capacity Building: Eight Supported Employment Simulation Workshops annually; and
Seven Regional Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) and Social Security Work Incentive Workshops each year.

Technical Assistance: On-site technical assistance to service providers serving individuals with severe disabilities including marketing, job development, job carving, microenterprise development, job retention, and assistance in development of PASS plans.

Direct Customer Services: Employment and training services for a minimum of 115 individuals with disabilities through September 30, 2000.

Workshops and technical assistance are provided by the University of Montana based Rural Institute and Wyoming Institute for Disabilities. JTPA and Welfare to Work providers, Vocational Rehabilitation personnel, community-based rehabilitation program staff, and consumers are invited to attend the training.

Lessons Learned

• Most individuals know what they want to do, and customer choice and self-determination are the keys to success.
• Collaborative community-based supported employment practices provide formal and informal supports for working participants.
• Post-employment services are vital to job retention or career advancement.
• Self-employment is a viable employment option, particularly in rural areas.
• Costs to individual programs decrease when funds are leveraged from several sources, resulting in services to more participants. A variety of no-cost services are available in every community.

Very few participants have used funds for training, but many have accessed funds for post-employment services such as job coaching and financial support services. Consumer Characteristics White 90% Native American 10% Dropout 9% 16 to 22 9% 4-Yr Degree 10% 23 to 40 51% SSI/SSDI 50% 41 to 54 34% VR Clients 53% 55+ 6% TANF 14% Project Outcomes Through June, 2000, twelve Supported Employment and eleven PASS/Social Security Work Incentive Workshops have been conducted in Montana and Wyoming. Through April 30, 2000, 112 individuals have been served by this project and 46 participants have left the project. The average JTPA obligation per participant is $3,517. Goods and services purchased for individual participants have ranged from $600 to $10,000.Nearly 50 percent of all participants are pursuing self-employment. Of the 46 participants terminated, nine were self-employed. To date, five of six participants have been contacted at 90 and 180-day follow-up. (One participant moved and was not located.) All five were continuing to work in their business. Two of five reported self-employment wages at 90 days and three of five reported income at 180 days.