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December 2015
Policy&Practice
17
I
n the October 2015 issue of
Policy
& Practice,
we touched on the
important role work plays in the lives
of individuals and families. Work is
an essential, defining component of
most Americans’ lives, and for most
human service customers, employ-
ment is critical to their ability to meet
their needs and support the health
and well-being of their families and
communities. Unfortunately, many
human service customers have very
limited employment opportunities and
face barriers that prevent them from
finding and securing jobs that promote
stability and well-being.
Workforce engagement efforts, at
the macro and micro levels, must be
intentionally designed and imple-
mented in ways that focus on creating
career pathways for families, not just
to employment, but to
gainful
employ-
ment and the resulting positive and
sustainable outcomes that benefit the
whole family.
By Kerry Desjardins and Mary Brogdon
Redefining
the Worker’s Voice
How APHSA’s Center for Workforce
Engagement plots a roadmap toward
gainful employment and independence