WEBVTT
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Hi, I'm Juliet Stepech, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, and welcome to our Workforce Solutions podcast.
00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:18.320
Today I'm excited to be joined by Fernando Vivera Jr.
00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:22.320
from the Texas Workforce Commission's Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:23.280
Fernando?
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:25.760
Juliet, thank you for having me today.
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.480
Really appreciate it, and I'm excited to be here.
00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.559
So you're a business consultant.
00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:31.760
What does that mean?
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:39.600
Well, it means a lot, but for VR, for vocational rehabilitation, um, there's a little bit more to it.
00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:54.640
I I I like to consider myself almost as a an HR professional slash hiring manager slash workforce guru recruiter for a Texas employer.
00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:55.840
Outstanding.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:57.520
Yeah, there's a lot of things going on there.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:02.479
But literally, businesses in Texas could use us like that.
00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.599
So tell me, what can VR offer employers that they may not know is available?
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.439
We can offer them a gamut of things.
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:12.640
I mean a ton of things, but just to mention a few.
00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:26.079
Again, we can walk side by side with their hiring managers, with their team members, with their HR departments, and and walk them through the processes of hiring people with disabilities.
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:37.840
That process could sometimes get complicated for the average HR department or the average hiring manager to the point where they would just abandon it.
00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:39.200
And that's what we don't want.
00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:41.920
We want businesses to feel comfortable.
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:53.599
We want the businesses to feel okay knowing that we're doing the right process, we're walking this path, and we have some experts with us, and we're gonna do this the right way, and we're gonna do it really good.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.319
Wow.
00:01:54.480 --> 00:02:00.319
So how do you help employers connect with qualified candidates that they may not otherwise reach?
00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:21.360
Well, in this process of us meeting business owners and meeting HR departments and meeting hiring managers, we set up what is after the trainings that we show them, how is it can a person that, let's say, for example, is blind or a person that is deaf and hard of hearing, how is it that they can do this job here at this warehouse?
00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:32.319
In that process of explaining and showing and teaching the company how to do this, we set up pipelines because now that the company is leaning forward and saying, okay, I think we can do this.
00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:39.199
Fernando, I think I have an opening here for this type of job at the warehouse.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:40.240
Could you help me?
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:41.599
And I'm like, absolutely.
00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:42.960
That was the whole point of this.
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.360
Let's set up a pipeline that way.
00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.599
When you have an opening, you let us know.
00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:53.439
I'll turn around to the staff and say, Hey, this company over here has an opening for this position.
00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.520
Who do we have employment ready?
00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.479
Boom, we connect and the pipeline goes back and forth.
00:02:58.719 --> 00:02:59.520
Wow, that's awesome.
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:01.120
So you're a master connector.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:02.639
Kind of sort of, right?
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:04.560
That sounds like it to me.
00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:11.039
So, what are some practical things businesses can do to make their hiring process and workplace more accessible?
00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:18.080
Well, I would say definitely, and I've said this before lots of times, we got to start at the application process.
00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:23.840
They have to be accessible, but that's not difficult, especially today in age with the AI and all that going on.
00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.159
It's as simple as look at my website, let's make it accessible.
00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.879
And if you have the lowest version of AI, it's gonna go at it's gonna go into action.
00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.599
So I I I let businesses know that.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:39.039
I would say three or four years ago, it was still a process.
00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:42.479
Nowadays, it's just thinking about it and going through the motions.
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:46.400
So I remind them, say, hey, dude, are you guys using any sort of AI?
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:50.400
And they're like, Yeah, we're using the the the lesser pro version.
00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.280
Put in the prompt, look at my website, let's make it accessible.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:03.520
And the AI will tell you, hey, this is what you need to do, or this is what you can do, and show you the resources or where to go to make that site accessible.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.039
Once the site becomes accessible, that's the good first step.
00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:07.599
Wow.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.560
For an employer who's never worked with VR before, what would you want them to know?
00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:19.920
Well, I want them to know that there is a huge talent pool out there that we don't want you to miss out on.
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:29.279
We got it, we know it exists, we've worked with it, we've played the long game, we worked the long game here with Texas um citizens.
00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.800
In other words, when they're employment ready, they are employment ready.
00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:47.279
And we are looking for employers who are looking for people that want to work, we're looking for employers that want to hire people that want to work, we're looking for employers that are looking for skilled, um, qualified employees.
00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:52.560
And when they're tell us that that's what they want, we have it, we know we have it.
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:57.040
We set up these pipelines with them, and then there we go, we set up a relationship.
00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.720
And here's what it does: it makes the whole community better.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.160
It that's what it does.
00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.959
It it here's here's it sets up a whole ecosystem.
00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:17.600
When you hire a person with a disability, here's what's happening not only you're not only the person is gainfully employed, not only you're hiring somebody from the community, but now that employee person goes to the bakery.
00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:22.639
And then from the bakery, they go to the you know, the coffee shop.
00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:24.720
And now there's this ecosystem.
00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:29.439
One person is providing for the whole community an ecosystem.
00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:34.800
And it all started with this employer who dared to dare and get this, you know, get the right employee for the job.
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.800
So that's what we're kind of doing here.
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:44.480
That's a that's a macro look into something that's that's going on um with that one hire with the for that for that company.
00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.040
Strengthening community and helping the economy.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:50.399
Yes, and I think, you know, I think most businesses want to do this.
00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:56.319
I think deep down inside, businesses obviously they need to make money to survive.
00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:57.360
That's there.
00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:00.720
But I think businesses really want to be a part of the community.
00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:06.000
They want to be, they want to be that part to say, hey, we're doing our share to help society.
00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.199
And this is one of the best ways to do it because you can see, as I said earlier, look what's happening.
00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:17.199
One hire, it's making this whole ecosystem better for the whole community.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:18.480
That's awesome.
00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:26.879
So, when more people with disabilities are able to participate in the workforce, what does that mean for our economy and community?
00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.000
We just talked about that.
00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:29.279
We just talked about it.
00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:37.120
Like I said, it just creates, and you know, when we step back and look at it, you it's like, whoa, okay, this is what's going on.
00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:43.360
Um, they're hiring a one person, but now this person is moving it into that community.
00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.720
It's feeding all the ecosystems in the community, it's actually feeding the school district if they have children.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:49.040
Yeah.
00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:49.519
Right?
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.959
This now we have more in the school district, there's more students.
00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:58.399
It just causes this chain reaction of happiness and love, is what I call it.
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:05.600
So if more employers want to join this circle, this community of family and love, how can they participate and learn more?
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.800
Very easy.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.319
There are 28 workforce solutions offices out there.
00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:21.279
As a matter of fact, you can just jump right now on your cell phone and type in vocational rehabilitation, Houston, Texas, and boom, first thing that's gonna pop up is us.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:26.560
You're gonna see some phone numbers there, call the first one that you want, and they're gonna connect you to the closest one to you.
00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:32.720
You don't have to do a deep dive, but just first movement, do that, and it's gonna start your journey.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:45.759
So, for everyone listening, you want to join the circle of love, the circle of opportunity and hope, you want to learn more from Fernando and other persons from VR just like him, please listen to this podcast.
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:49.199
Uh, learn more at WRKSolutions.com.
00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:56.720
We look forward to continuing to share more information about VR and its important critical services, both for employers and local residents.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.040
Fernando, thank you so much for joining us today.
00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:00.399
Julia for having me.
00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:01.680
Really appreciate it.
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:06.079
We look forward to seeing you next time on Workforce Solutions Podcast.
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:14.480
Hi, I'm Juliet Stepech, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, and welcome to our Workforce Solutions podcast.
00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:18.320
Today I'm excited to be joined by Fernando Vivera Jr.
00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:22.320
from the Texas Workforce Commission's Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:23.280
Fernando?
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:25.760
Juliet, thank you for having me today.
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.480
Really appreciate it, and I'm excited to be here.
00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.559
So you're a business consultant.
00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:31.760
What does that mean?
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:39.600
Well, it means a lot, but for VR, for vocational rehabilitation, um, there's a little bit more to it.
00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:54.640
I I I like to consider myself almost as a an HR professional slash hiring manager slash workforce guru recruiter for a Texas employer.
00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:55.840
Outstanding.
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:57.520
Yeah, there's a lot of things going on there.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:02.479
But literally, businesses in Texas could use us like that.
00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.599
So tell me, what can VR offer employers that they may not know is available?
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.439
We can offer them a gamut of things.
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:12.640
I mean a ton of things, but just to mention a few.
00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:26.079
Again, we can walk side by side with their hiring managers, with their team members, with their HR departments, and and walk them through the processes of hiring people with disabilities.
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:37.840
That process could sometimes get complicated for the average HR department or the average hiring manager to the point where they would just abandon it.
00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:39.200
And that's what we don't want.
00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:41.920
We want businesses to feel comfortable.
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:53.599
We want the businesses to feel okay knowing that we're doing the right process, we're walking this path, and we have some experts with us, and we're gonna do this the right way, and we're gonna do it really good.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.319
Wow.
00:01:54.480 --> 00:02:00.319
So how do you help employers connect with qualified candidates that they may not otherwise reach?
00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:21.360
Well, in this process of us meeting business owners and meeting HR departments and meeting hiring managers, we set up what is after the trainings that we show them, how is it can a person that, let's say, for example, is blind or a person that is deaf and hard of hearing, how is it that they can do this job here at this warehouse?
00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:32.319
In that process of explaining and showing and teaching the company how to do this, we set up pipelines because now that the company is leaning forward and saying, okay, I think we can do this.
00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:39.199
Fernando, I think I have an opening here for this type of job at the warehouse.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:40.240
Could you help me?
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:41.599
And I'm like, absolutely.
00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:42.960
That was the whole point of this.
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.360
Let's set up a pipeline that way.
00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.599
When you have an opening, you let us know.
00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:53.439
I'll turn around to the staff and say, Hey, this company over here has an opening for this position.
00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.520
Who do we have employment ready?
00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.479
Boom, we connect and the pipeline goes back and forth.
00:02:58.719 --> 00:02:59.520
Wow, that's awesome.
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:01.120
So you're a master connector.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:02.639
Kind of sort of, right?
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:04.560
That sounds like it to me.
00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:11.039
So, what are some practical things businesses can do to make their hiring process and workplace more accessible?
00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:18.080
Well, I would say definitely, and I've said this before lots of times, we got to start at the application process.
00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:23.840
They have to be accessible, but that's not difficult, especially today in age with the AI and all that going on.
00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.159
It's as simple as look at my website, let's make it accessible.
00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.879
And if you have the lowest version of AI, it's gonna go at it's gonna go into action.
00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.599
So I I I let businesses know that.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:39.039
I would say three or four years ago, it was still a process.
00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:42.479
Nowadays, it's just thinking about it and going through the motions.
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:46.400
So I remind them, say, hey, dude, are you guys using any sort of AI?
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:50.400
And they're like, Yeah, we're using the the the lesser pro version.
00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.280
Put in the prompt, look at my website, let's make it accessible.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:03.520
And the AI will tell you, hey, this is what you need to do, or this is what you can do, and show you the resources or where to go to make that site accessible.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.039
Once the site becomes accessible, that's the good first step.
00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:07.599
Wow.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.560
For an employer who's never worked with VR before, what would you want them to know?
00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:19.920
Well, I want them to know that there is a huge talent pool out there that we don't want you to miss out on.
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:29.279
We got it, we know it exists, we've worked with it, we've played the long game, we worked the long game here with Texas um citizens.
00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.800
In other words, when they're employment ready, they are employment ready.
00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:47.279
And we are looking for employers who are looking for people that want to work, we're looking for employers that want to hire people that want to work, we're looking for employers that are looking for skilled, um, qualified employees.
00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:52.560
And when they're tell us that that's what they want, we have it, we know we have it.
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:57.040
We set up these pipelines with them, and then there we go, we set up a relationship.
00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.720
And here's what it does: it makes the whole community better.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.160
It that's what it does.
00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.959
It it here's here's it sets up a whole ecosystem.
00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:17.600
When you hire a person with a disability, here's what's happening not only you're not only the person is gainfully employed, not only you're hiring somebody from the community, but now that employee person goes to the bakery.
00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:22.639
And then from the bakery, they go to the you know, the coffee shop.
00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:24.720
And now there's this ecosystem.
00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:29.439
One person is providing for the whole community an ecosystem.
00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:34.800
And it all started with this employer who dared to dare and get this, you know, get the right employee for the job.
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.800
So that's what we're kind of doing here.
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:44.480
That's a that's a macro look into something that's that's going on um with that one hire with the for that for that company.
00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.040
Strengthening community and helping the economy.
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:50.399
Yes, and I think, you know, I think most businesses want to do this.
00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:56.319
I think deep down inside, businesses obviously they need to make money to survive.
00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:57.360
That's there.
00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:00.720
But I think businesses really want to be a part of the community.
00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:06.000
They want to be, they want to be that part to say, hey, we're doing our share to help society.
00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.199
And this is one of the best ways to do it because you can see, as I said earlier, look what's happening.
00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:17.199
One hire, it's making this whole ecosystem better for the whole community.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:18.480
That's awesome.
00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:26.879
So, when more people with disabilities are able to participate in the workforce, what does that mean for our economy and community?
00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.000
We just talked about that.
00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:29.279
We just talked about it.
00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:37.120
Like I said, it just creates, and you know, when we step back and look at it, you it's like, whoa, okay, this is what's going on.
00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:43.360
Um, they're hiring a one person, but now this person is moving it into that community.
00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.720
It's feeding all the ecosystems in the community, it's actually feeding the school district if they have children.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:49.040
Yeah.
00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:49.519
Right?
00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.959
This now we have more in the school district, there's more students.
00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:58.399
It just causes this chain reaction of happiness and love, is what I call it.
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:05.600
So if more employers want to join this circle, this community of family and love, how can they participate and learn more?
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.800
Very easy.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.319
There are 28 workforce solutions offices out there.
00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:21.279
As a matter of fact, you can just jump right now on your cell phone and type in vocational rehabilitation, Houston, Texas, and boom, first thing that's gonna pop up is us.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:26.560
You're gonna see some phone numbers there, call the first one that you want, and they're gonna connect you to the closest one to you.
00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:32.720
You don't have to do a deep dive, but just first movement, do that, and it's gonna start your journey.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:45.759
So, for everyone listening, you want to join the circle of love, the circle of opportunity and hope, you want to learn more from Fernando and other persons from VR just like him, please listen to this podcast.
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:49.199
Uh, learn more at WRKSolutions.com.
00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:56.720
We look forward to continuing to share more information about VR and its important critical services, both for employers and local residents.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.040
Fernando, thank you so much for joining us today.
00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:00.399
Julia for having me.
00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:01.680
Really appreciate it.
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:06.079
We look forward to seeing you next time on Workforce Solutions Podcast.
