Employment First

What Employment First does

Employment First is a State of Ohio government initiative, established on March 19, 2012 by Executive Order 2012-05K signed by Governor John Kasich, that makes community employment the preferred outcome for Ohioans with developmental disabilities. The initiative is coordinated by the Employment First Task Force, which brings together nine Ohio state agencies — the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), Department of Medicaid (ODM), Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS), Department of Transportation (ODOT), Department of Health (ODH), and the Developmental Disabilities Council — alongside all 88 county boards of developmental disabilities. Operations are managed through OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence), which provides the web platform backbone and the OCALI ID single sign-on system.

The initiative operates as a free web-based resource and coordination platform centered on five core tools: the Outcome Tracking System (OTS) for capturing data on people receiving developmental disability day and employment services, the Community Life Guide with modules on employment, safety, financial literacy, and healthcare transitions, the Transition Toolkit for school-to-adulthood planning, the Exploring Employment self-assessment tool, and the Ohio MAP Tool supporting county-based Multi-Agency Planning teams. Professional development is delivered through DODD MyLearning courses and the DirectCourse (Elsevier) catalog, which provides over 170 hours of training plus ACRE and CESP credentialing pathways. Dually approved Employment First Partnership Providers must be certified by both DODD and OOD to deliver integrated supported employment services.

End users — including job seekers with disabilities, youth and families, employers, educators, and service providers — access all resources at no cost. Funding flows from State of Ohio agency budgets rather than from customer payments, and revenue is structurally non-applicable in commercial terms. Distribution runs through existing state infrastructure: county boards, vocational rehabilitation offices, schools, state support teams, and certified employment service providers across Ohio.

Name

Employment First

Legal name

Employment First

Website

https://ohioemploymentfirst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Employment First is a State of Ohio initiative, established by Executive Order 2012-05K, that coordinates nine state agencies and 88 county boards to expand community employment for Ohioans with developmental disabilities through free web-based tools, training, and multi-agency planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Employment Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Administration of Human Resource Programs (923)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Labor & Employment Administration (Workforce Regulation & Programs) (BPAIAAAM)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Community employment
• Workforce development
• Disability transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Employment First is a State of Ohio initiative coordinated by the Employment First Task Force, funded through state agency partnerships including DODD, OOD, and other Ohio state departments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Employment First is a State of Ohio initiative that delivers free web-based tools, coordinated disability employment services, transition planning resources, and professional development to help working-age adults with developmental disabilities achieve community employment. The platform provides the Community Life Guide, Outcome Tracking System, Transition Toolkit, MAP Team coordination programs, and training courses that connect job seekers, families, employers, educators, and service providers through Ohio's nine-agency task force structure.

Product overview

Employment First Ohio operates as a unified resource and coordination platform, centered on the Community Life Guide (providing employment, safety, financial literacy, and healthcare transition modules), the Outcome Tracking System for data-driven policy alignment, and the Transition Toolkit for school-to-adulthood planning. The platform integrates these core offerings with an interactive Exploring Employment Tool, the OCALI ID single sign-on system, and professional development through DODD MyLearning courses. County-based Multi-Agency Planning teams and the Strategic Planning Guide provide localized implementation support, all coordinated through state agency partnerships with DODD, OOD, and related organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Life Guide: A resource platform providing modules to help people with disabilities develop adult life skills, learn how to seek employment, improve digital and financial literacy, and navigate the transition to adult health care.
• Outcome Tracking System (OTS)
• Transition Toolkit

Products and services

• Community Life Guide A web-based learning platform with modules that help people with disabilities develop adult life skills, learn how to seek employment, improve digital and financial literacy, and navigate the transition to adult health care.
• Outcome Tracking System (OTS) An application that captures data related to what is happening for people receiving developmental disability day and employment services, allowing the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to align policies, procedures, and legislation that improve community living and employment outcomes.
• Transition Toolkit A resource toolkit for youth, families, and professionals to help with transition planning from school to adult life, organized into topic areas covering roles, transition topics, multi-agency collaboration, and practical how-to guidance.
• Exploring Employment Tool An interactive self-assessment tool helping people with disabilities and their supporters learn about work, benefits, career planning, and staying active in the community through personalized pathways.
• DODD MyLearning Employment First Courses Free online courses through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities covering supported employment competencies, job development, family engagement, and transportation coordination for providers, county board staff, and people with disabilities.
• Employment First Partnership Provider A certification pathway for employment providers approved by both DODD and OOD, enabling dual waiver and vocational rehabilitation services for people with developmental disabilities seeking competitive integrated employment.
• Multi-Agency Planning (MAP) Team Program County-based collaborative teams bringing together school districts, county boards of developmental disabilities, and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities to identify barriers and develop joint strategies for supporting transition youth.
• Strategic Planning Guide A 5-step systematic planning process framework for Multi-Agency Teams to effect changes in practice, covering problem definition, SWOT analysis, visioning, goal development, and continuous improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% data entry rate for Outcome Tracking System covering people in Adult Day and Employment services (2022 reporting period)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and flagship.

• Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2012Primary coordination partner providing support for individuals with disabilities to live, work and participate in their communities. DODD services are accessed through County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDDD). DODD provides the MyLearning platform and DirectCourse access for Employment First training.
• Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides leadership, assistance and oversight to school districts for students with disabilities through the Office for Exceptional Children. Coordinates 16 regional state support teams assisting districts with special education and transition services.
• Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssists Ohioans with disabilities to prepare for, obtain, and maintain community employment through Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) and Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI). Co-develops joint guidance with DODD for employment services.
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (DD Council)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks to create change that improves independence, productivity, and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Part of a national network of state councils committed to self-determination and community inclusion.
• Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible for overseeing all Medicaid programs in Ohio providing health care coverage to eligible individuals, including those with developmental disabilities receiving employment supports.
• Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunds evidence-based prevention efforts, quality treatment and recovery supports in communities statewide through a behavioral health system of county boards and local providers.
• Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers workforce development, unemployment compensation, cash assistance, food assistance, childcare, and child/adult protective services that complement employment services for people with disabilities.
• Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the state highway system and promotes transportation initiatives statewide, including transportation coordination to support employment access for people with disabilities.
• Ohio Department of Health (ODH)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers public health information, tools, and resources geared towards advancing the health and well-being of Ohioans, complementing healthcare transition resources for people with disabilities.
• OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides web platform services for Employment First including the OTS application, Community Life Guide, Transition Toolkit, and MAP Tool. Manages the OCALI ID single sign-on system for multiple Ohio disability-related websites. Hosts DODD MyLearning and DirectCourse platforms.
• National Governors Association (NGA) CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio was selected as one of six states to participate in the NGA Center's Disability Inclusive Workforce Policy Learning Collaborative to develop plans expanding employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership organization providing Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) credential, training events, eLearning courses, and webinar library for employment professionals supporting people with disabilities.
• Elsevier (DirectCourse)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides DirectCourse and College of Direct Support platform with over 170 hours of web-based training for employment support professionals. DODD provides access to DirectCourse at no cost.
• Green Mountain Self AdvocatessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the Hire Up Employment Curriculum for job clubs run by self-advocates, demonstrating peer-facilitated employment support groups.
• Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing ACRE-approved training for employment professionals through rigorous curriculum review process, available in face-to-face, online, and hybrid formats.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SourceAmerica: SourceAmerica is a national nonprofit that connects people with disabilities to meaningful employment through its AbilityOne program and AbilityWorks services. It is comparable as a larger, established organization operating in the same disability-employment space across multiple states.
• National Disability Institute: National Disability Institute is a national nonprofit focused on financial inclusion, employment, and economic advancement for people with disabilities. It is comparable in mission to Employment First's community employment and financial literacy objectives (Community Life Guide) and operates at a national policy and program level.
• Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR): CSAVR represents the public vocational rehabilitation directors across all US states and territories, including Ohio's OOD (an Employment First partner). It is comparable as the umbrella governance body for state VR systems that deliver employment services to people with disabilities through federal-state funding.

Regional players

• Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS): Virginia DARS is a state vocational rehabilitation and aging services agency that delivers employment services for Virginians with disabilities. It is comparable to Ohio's OOD as a peer state VR agency executing Employment First–aligned employment services, but operates in a different state.
• California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR): California DOR is a state vocational rehabilitation agency serving Californians with disabilities through employment preparation and placement. It is comparable to Ohio's OOD as a large, geographically distinct peer state VR agency implementing federally-funded employment services for people with disabilities.

Emerging players

• RespectAbility: RespectAbility is a national disability inclusion advocacy and policy organization that works on competitive integrated employment, transition-age youth, and employer engagement. It is comparable in employer engagement and youth transition focus to Employment First's Transition Toolkit and employer diversification resources.
• Kessler Foundation: Kessler Foundation is a nonprofit that funds disability and rehabilitation research, including employment and cognitive disability outcomes research. It is comparable as a research and outcomes-measurement partner operating in the same disability-employment evidence base that Employment First's Outcome Tracking System feeds into.
• National Governors Association Center for Best Practices: NGA currently partners with Ohio on the Disability Inclusive Workforce Policy Learning Collaborative. It is comparable as a convening body that shapes state-level disability workforce policy and is extending the Employment First philosophy into five additional states through its collaborative.

Direct peers

• Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE): APSE is the national membership organization advancing Employment First philosophy and the CESP credential for employment support professionals. It is a current partner of Ohio Employment First and is directly comparable as the broader national movement defining community-integrated employment standards and supported employment practice.
• State Employment Leadership Network (SELN): SELN is a national network of state intellectual and developmental disability agencies collaborating on employment policy and outcomes for people with disabilities. It is directly comparable as a multi-state counterpart to Employment First's Ohio task force model, operating at the same intersection of state policy, employment supports, and cross-agency coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Employment First