Breaking Barriers to Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities
Regional Employment Collaboratives are Riverside-led partnerships of state agencies, employers, workforce development organizations, and service providers. The Collaboratives work across these groups with the common goal of increasing employment opportunities for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
Our efforts focus on broadening the types of employers providing opportunities for the individuals we serve and enhancing access to career-oriented training and resources.
For Employers
Our Regional Employment Collaboratives partner with businesses throughout the state seeking to enrich their organization through a diverse and inclusive workforce. Employers become connected to an untapped market of candidates and can begin developing their pipeline of qualified, reliable, and skilled candidates.
Employer Liaisons meet with employers to discuss their hiring needs and requirements. Together, we’ll develop a plan to best fill current job openings. This service is free to the employer and can streamline the hiring process tremendously.
We work with companies large and small, realizing there isn’t always a one-size-fits-all approach. The Collaboratives have partnered with CVS Health to develop a training program for individuals to further enhance their talent pipeline. We have also worked with Sodexo, Amazon, and Home Depot to create similar statewide training and hiring programs to help them reach their hiring goals.
Our Partners
The Riverside Employment Collaboratives partner with many non-profit organizations, which vary by region. Our partners include service providers, state agencies, and workforce development organizations. We all aim to expand employment opportunities for individuals who face barriers to entering (or re-entering) the workforce. We represent a wide range of disabilities, including physical, mental, cognitive, and visual challenges. As a group, we commit to connecting the people we serve with companies looking for qualified job applicants.
Learn More
Each regional Collaborative works with a localized set of partners and employers. To learn more about this service for your area and for individual contact information, please visit the appropriate website:
- Central Massachusetts: Central Mass Employment Collaborative
- Metro Boston and areas within Route 128: Greater Boston Employment Collaborative
- Essex and Northern Middlesex Counties: NorthEast Employment Collaborative
- Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties: Western Mass Employment Collaborative
- Boston MetroWest area outside of Route 128. Fall River, New Bedford, and surrounding towns: MetroWest Employment Collaborative
- Fall River, New Bedford, and surrounding towns South Coast Employment Collaborative
The Employment Collaboratives are funded by the Department of Developmental Services and partially funded by the Department of Mental Health.
