VCU RRTC

Employment facilitation in rural communities is a combination of best employment practices and a lot of ingenuity. Past experience dictates that if the employment consultant accesses only available jobs, the result will often be low paying, seasonal employment, or an unsatisfactory job match.

This program looks at employment options and development techniques which have proven effective in communities with a population under 14,000 where very small employers are the rule. The discussion topics include: the importance of community networking, people first job development, and self employment as the most viable option.

Roger Shelley is an Organizational Consultant with the Rural Institute at the University of Montana. Roger has provided technical assistance and training programs for organizations engaged in supplying supported employment services to people with severe disabilities. Roger has assisted people to become self-employed through a Department of Labor project operated by the Montana Job Training Partnership and the universities in Montana and Wyoming. Roger has written and taught the writing of PASS plans in 12 states and has co-written a training manual outlining Social Security Work Incentives and their application to facilitate employment for people with disabilities.