JOB DEVELOPMENT TELEVISION TRAINING NETWORK: PHASE I

THE NEED FOR AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO TRAINING IN THE FIELD OF JOB DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IS PARAMOUNT IN A CHANGING LABOR MARKET. THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A JOB DEVELOPMENT TELEVISION TRAINING NETWORK (JOBNET) TO ENHANCE JOB DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. USING DISTANCE EDUCATION METHODS, INSTRUCTIONAL SEMINARS WILL BE BROADCAST "LIVE" THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES VIA SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY. THIS FORMAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE LIVING IN REMOTE AREAS TO BENEFIT FROM INSTRUCTION, AND ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERTS AND GUEST FACULTY VIA TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE HOOK-UP. FOR PEOPLE UNABLE TO ACCESS THE LIVE PRODUCTIONS, VIDEOTAPES AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND SOLD AS POST-PRODUCTION PRODUCTS. PHASE I STUDY METHODS WILL FIRST INVOLVE IDENTIFYING A CADRE OF JOB DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING "EXPERTS" AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING EXEMPLARY AND INNOVATIVE JOB DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES. THE MOST EFFICIENT TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION METHODS WILL BE IDENTIFIED FOR LOCALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. LASTLY, AN IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TELECOURSES AND DISTANCE EDUCATION DISTRIBUTION METHODS DURING PHASE II.