State helps people with disabilities get Connecticut jobs

Posted on October 22, 2014

The state has revamped their committee to help people with disabilities get Connecticut jobs.

The Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) has been re-invigorated with a new chairperson and committee members from the state’s business community, non-profit organizations, state agencies, and people with disabilities.

The GCEPD, housed under the Department of Labor, is a volunteer committee with members appointed by Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer. The newly-appointed chairperson, Jonathan Slifka, also serves as the Governor’s Liaison to the Disability Community. State agency appointments include representatives from the Department of Administrative Services, the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind, Department of Transportation, the Labor Department, and the Department of Social Services.

“We are excited to have so many knowledgeable committee members that will be instrumental in helping the GCEPD fulfill its mission of developing programs and initiatives to increase statewide employment opportunities of people with disabilities,” Commissioner Palmer noted. “The committee will also support the activities of related organizations throughout the state to tap into available resources and programs.”

“There are so many elements that go into looking at the complete picture of the employment of persons’ with disabilities, from education and outreach to transportation,” said Chairperson Jonathan Slifka, Governor’s Liaison to the Disability Community. I am excited about the group that has been put together and I am eager to get started on this critical mission of bringing more of our disability community in to the workforce.”

“We are excited to have so many knowledgeable committee members that will be instrumental in helping the GCEPD fulfill its mission of developing programs and initiatives to increase statewide employment opportunities of people with disabilities,” Commissioner Palmer noted. “The committee will also support the activities of related organizations throughout the state to tap into available resources and programs.”

Initiatives the committee will be looking at include providing career fairs, promoting educational programs that can foster upward mobility in the workplace, and increasing employer awareness of the skills and abilities that a person with a disability brings to the workplace.