interns gained full-time employment with the state following their internship. Objectives of the internship program are to: Provide employment opportunities to qualified students and new graduates • with disabilities Diversify state government’s workforce and workplaces • Provide a qualified pool of applicants with disabilities to state agencies • Demonstrate the abilities of employees with disabilities • Further affirmative action objectives; and • Provide a transition for students with disabilities into the workplace • Agency placements are sought in both professional and non-professional positions across the state to provide opportunity in a variety of employment positions to match varied skills and abilities of interns. Students with disabilities are recruited from the Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services’ Vocational Counselors. Supervisory feedback was very positive about the program, resulting in successful experience for both the students and the employers. The State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis had this to say about his agency’s ICED intern, the time she’s been with “In the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Krystal has been a tremendous help to all of our staff. She has proven herself as a quick learner who is willing to take on projects that keep our agency running smoothly.” During FY 2014 (the summer of 2014), 2 students with disabilities worked as ICED interns with the following Illinois agencies: Office of the State Fire Marshal 1 intern Department of Human Rights 1 intern MONITORING EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES The Committee tracks the composition of the state’s workforce as one indication of the state’s commitment to serving as a model employer of people with disabilities. The chart in Appendix A shows employment figures in state agencies over the last 16 years for employees who have self-identified a disability. The number of state employees with disabilities decreased over the years by 25%-- over 1,000 individuals-- however, during that period the total number of total state employees decreased by an even larger percentage, 31%. Consequently, the percentage of state employees with disabilities has grown over the years, from a low point of about 5% in FY04 to a high in FY13 of 7.5%, slipping this year a little to 7.4%. In 2012, the state instituted an online disability survey, which may capture
interns gained full-time employment with the state following their internship. Objectives of the internship program are to: • Provide employment opportunities to qualified students and new graduates with disabilities • Diversify state government’s workforce and workplaces • Provide a qualified pool of applicants with disabilities to state agencies • Demonstrate the abilities of employees with disabilities • Further affirmative action objectives; and • Provide a transition for students with disabilities into the workplace Agency placements are sought in both professional and non-professional positions across the state to provide opportunity in a variety of employment positions to match varied skills and abilities of interns. Students with disabilities are recruited from the Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services’ Vocational Counselors. Supervisory feedback was very positive about the program, resulting in successful experience for both the students and the employers. The State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis had this to say about his agency’s ICED intern, “In the time she’s been with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Krystal has been a tremendous help to all of our staff. She has proven herself as a quick learner who is willing to take on projects that keep our agency running smoothly.” During FY 2014 (the summer of 2014), 2 students with disabilities worked as ICED interns with the following Illinois agencies: Office of the State Fire Marshal 1 intern Department of Human Rights 1 intern MONITORING EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES The Committee tracks the composition of the state’s workforce as one indication of the state’s commitment to serving as a model employer of people with disabilities. The chart in Appendix A shows employment figures in state agencies over the last 16 years for employees who have self-identified a disability. The number of state employees with disabilities decreased over the years by 25%-- over 1,000 individuals-- however, during that period the total number of total state employees decreased by an even larger percentage, 31%. Consequently, the percentage of state employees with disabilities has grown over the years, from a low point of about 5% in FY04 to a high in FY13 of 7.5%, slipping this year a little to 7.4%. In 2012, the state instituted an online disability survey, which may capture
Annual_Report_FY_2014_accessible.docx