“If one advances in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”. Henry David Thoreau
As a workforce development professional, your purpose is to help empower each of your customers to achieve success in reaching his or her highest career growth potential. LEGACY Diversity Training was created specifically to help you fulfill that purpose, while also advancing in your career to reach your “dreams!”
In LEGACY I online training, you were introduced to basic disability concepts and strategies for ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal access to One-Stop programs and services, and employment opportunities. In live training sessions, you applied that knowledge through teamwork to find solutions to individual customer’s service needs.
LEGACY II training builds on that foundation, by going beyond the “basics”, to equip you with more advanced skills you need to deliver quality Core and Intensive Services to persons with disabilities. The more challenging LEGACY II curriculum also provides opportunities for you to sharpen your overall professional skills in several important areas:
- How to find creative solutions to meet your customers’ needs!
- How to work effectively in a team!
- How to provide excellent customer service to ALL customers!
- How to communicate more effectively with customers and co-workers!
- How to cope with stress and avoid “burnout”!
- How to advance your career as a workforce development professional!
It is our hope that LEGACY II training will help you find fresh inspiration and purpose in your career as a workforce development professional, and reinforce your commitment to changing the lives of persons with disabilities.
QUEST Diversity Training & Consulting
EmployABILITY
Who is eligible for LEGACY II?
To be eligible for LEGACY II training:
- You must be an employee of a City of Los Angeles WorkSource Center, and
- You must have completed the online module and live training on the LEGACY foundation course L101: “One-Stop Access for Persons with Disabilities”.
Others interested in LEGACY II training may contact:
Los Angeles Community Development Department:
Susan Quigley: squigley@cdd.lacity.org
What skills are addressed in LEGACY II?
LEGACY II addresses skill clusters defined by the Department of Labor for One-Stop Centers. These skill clusters represent the duties and tasks, skills and knowledge, tools and equipment and attitudes necessary to successfully deliver services to customers with disabilities. (For a complete list of One-Stop skills and core competencies, see: www.workforcetools.org/one_stop.asp).
Required Skills for ALL Staff
Core knowledge and skills required by every One-Stop employee regardless of their particular job function, for example:
- Team building
- Conflict resolution
- Time management
- Stress management
- Dealing with change
- Interpersonal communications
Direct Services Skills
Skills needed in various One-Stop positions with primary duties of delivering direct services to customers:
- Career Specialist: skills required to assist customers with disabilities with career decisions including educational and training requirements for specific positions, and overall employment guidance.
- Employer Services: skills needed to assist employers with a variety of services including job match, screening applicants, testing, job development, job retention, and targeted jobs tax credits.
- Job Seeker Services: skills needed to assist job seekers with disabilities with a variety of services including case management, referral, intake, eligibility requirements, assessment, testing and training opportunities.
- Labor Market Specialist: skills needed to assist customers, employers and job seekers, as well as internal staff with understanding the labor market information, knowing where to look for it and determining what it means.
- Resource Specialist: skills required to manage and/or assist customers in finding information related to employment, transportation, education, training, job seeking resources, job keeping resources, etc.
Note: The Department of Labor also defines a third skills cluster, Managerial/Administrative Skills, which includes skills needed for a variety of management duties including administration, outreach, staff training, program planning and supervision. These skills are addressed through the LEGACY III curriculum, coming in the near future.
How many modules are in the LEGACY II curriculum?
LEGACY II includes three modules, which together cover the entire One-Stop service delivery process. The modules must be completed in this order:
L201: Access to One-Stop Core Services
- Physical & programmatic access to Core “A” & “B” Services
- Model for customer service excellence
- Customer code of conduct
- Strategies for service staff to cope with stress and “burn out”
L202: Access to One-Stop Intensive Services
- Physical and programmatic access to Intensive Services
- Helping customers obtain workplace accommodations
- Innovative job development strategies
- Customized employment strategies
L203: Access to One-Stop Training & Job Retention Services
- Strategies for acquiring job skills through training
- Follow-up with customers after they’re employed
- Creative job retention strategies
- How to maintain workplace accommodations
How can I earn a Disability Services Specialist II Certification?
To earn certification as a Disability Services Specialist II, you must first earn certification as a Disability Services Specialist I, and then meet these three requirements:
1) Complete all three online modules in the LEGACY II curriculum
2) Attend live training on all three LEGACY II modules
3) Complete one “elective” assignment
In addition to completing the three online and live modules, you must choose and complete at least one elective assignment. Each elective assignment gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your skills, or acquire additional skills in delivering quality One-Stop services to persons with disabilities.
Elective assignments can be completed by an individual or by a team. (Team assignments are encouraged!) Students who complete two or more elective assignments will receive a gold “honors” seal on their DSS II certificate, and will receive special recognition at LEGACY II graduation ceremonies.
Examples of elective assignments:
(Instructions for completion of each assignment will be provided after you are enrolled)
- Attend an assistive technology training
- Attend a Ticket-to-Work orientation
- Attend an American Sign Language training
- Conduct a disability training for One-Stop staff, partner agency or employer
- Write a complete case study on an actual One-Stop customer with a disability
- Conduct an accessibility survey of your One-Stop Center
- Shadow a Department of Rehabilitation Counselor
- Make a presentation about your One-Stop services to a community-based disability organization or employer
- Volunteer at a partner agency
- Mentor a co-worker
- Create your own project assignment (must be approved in advance)
How can I enroll in LEGACY II courses?
Click on the link below to generate an email to QUEST Diversity Training & Consulting. Please provide the following information:
- Your name (as it appears in your current LEGACY online registration)
- Your email address (that you used when you registered)
- Current position
- City of Los Angeles WorkSource Center
Once your eligibility is verified, you will receive an email response with instructions for enrolling in online modules and registering for live training classes.