Services

Labor Market Survey

The purpose of a labor market survey is to obtain information from employers regarding a specific occupation or line of work. The information gathered during this survey will typically include job descriptions, required qualifications and skills necessary for hire, the physical demands of the job as well as current hiring and wage trends.

Labor Markets can be conducted in a variety of ways including, in person, telephone, email and online.

Job Analysis

The purpose of a Job Analysis is to accurately gather, evaluate and record objective data about the characteristics of a particular job. This will more than likely include:

Duties and Tasks: The basic unit of a job is the performance of specific tasks and duties. A Job Analysis will often reflect the frequency, duration, effort, skill, complexity and standard necessary to perform the specific job.

• Environment:  As the environment a job is performed in can often affect the physical demands of a job, a Job Analysis can reflect the work environment as a whole, including temperature extremes, fumes, chemical usage, etc.
• Tools and Equipment:  A Job Analysis will include the specific tools and protective clothing required of the specific job under evaluation.
• Relationships:  A Job Analysis will likely include the relationships someone performing the job in question will have with people, including supervision given/received as well as interaction with internal and/or external people.
• Requirements:  The knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform a job are provided on a Job Analysis. While one performing the position may have a higher range of skills than noted, a Job Analysis are typically stated as the minimum requirements necessary to perform the job.

It is important to remember that a Job Analysis reflects the specific job under evaluation, not the person performing the job. Once complete, Job Analyses are used by a variety of professionals including Medical Providers, Employers, Workers and Vocational Counselors to determine if someone meets the outlined demands and qualifications to obtain and maintain gainful employment in a particular occupation.

Transferable Skills Analysis

The purpose of a Transferable Skills Analysis is to assess person's aptitudes, skills and experience in order to identify areas of alternative employment one would be qualified for hire, should they be unable to perform their usual position for any reason (i.e., injury, economy). Typically, one's educational background, employment history as well as their demonstrated and applicable skills will be used to complete this assessment.

Simply put, a person is considered to have transferable skills when the skills that they possess can be used in and/or to obtain other jobs OR when the skills or work activities one performed during their prior employment can be used to meet the requirements of a skilled or semi-skilled work activity of other types of work.

Employment Services

When an injured Worker needs training in order to reenter the workforce, a Vocational Rehabilitation Plan is developed. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor guides the Worker through a process that includes vocational testing, labor market research, job analysis, investigation of formal and on-the-job training resources, and vocational counseling. This process culminates in the development of a customized Vocational Rehabilitation Plan that outlines the training necessary to return the Worker to competitive employment in the most timely and cost effective manner.

When an injured Worker participates in a Vocational Rehabilitation Plan, his or her progress is supported and monitored from start to finish by a Vocational Rehabiltation Counselor. During Vocational Rehabilitation Plan Implementation services the Counselor regularly meets and communicates with the student Worker and training Instructor while reporting monthly to the Claims Manager on student progress. Support during Vocational Rehabilitation Plan Implementation services ensures that a student Worker's training is completed successfully by monitoring issues such as academic performance, attendance, transportation, or acquisition of ergonomic or training supplies and equipment. Vocational Rehabilitation Plan Implementation also includes job search instruction and application for Preferred Worker status.

• Job search instruction is provided to student Workers at the conclusion of the training program to facilitate a successful transition to the work force. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor will guide and prepare the student Worker in resume development, job search strategy, labor market exploration,and interviewing technique and strategy. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor will also teach the student Worker to access and use employment resources at the training facility and in the community.
• At the successful completion of the Vocational Rehabilitation Plan, the Counselor will complete and submit an application for the student Worker's "Preferred Worker" status to the Department of Labor and Industries for the State of Washington. Employer who hire Preferred Workers can benefit from financial incentives offered by the State of Washington. Preferred Worker status is just one more way we ensure the Worker's successful transition to the workforce.