Vocational_Testing_RFR.doc

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

REQUEST for RESPONSE Vocational Testing- Job Matching-Occupational Specific Web-based Training Initiative

MRCVOCTESTINGFY12

27 Wormwood Street, Suite 600 Boston, MA 02210

MASSACHUSETTS REHABILITATION COMMISSION

The Mission of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission is to provide comprehensive services to people with disabilities that will maximize their quality of life and economic self-sufficiency in the community. This is accomplished through multiple programs in the three divisions of the MRC: Vocational Rehabilitation Division, Community Living Division and the Disability Determination Services Division.

The MRC Vocational Rehabilitation Program (MRC/VR) is a federal and state partnership designed to assist individuals with significant physical and/or mental disabilities attain part or full-time employment in the community. The MRC/VR program provides a wide range of services necessary for eligible individuals to attain or retain gainful employment. The purchase of any such program and services is subject to the procurement rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The MRC Community Living Division (MRC/CL) has a wide variety of programs and services that meet the diverse needs of people with significant disabilities and enable them to live independently. The purchase of any such program and services is subject to the procurement rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The following are some of the programs within the CL Division.

The Consumer Involvement Program focuses on gathering and using input from consumers to improve services.

The Protective Services Program is a mandated program providing services to individuals who have been abused by a caretaker.

The Homecare Assistance Program (HCAP), through community-based agencies, provides highly trained personnel who enable people with extensive disabilities to live independently.

The Statewide Head Injury Program (MRC/SHIP) is the public agency within the Commonwealth that is responsible for identifying, cultivating and developing resources and services for people with traumatic brain injury.

The Nursing Home Initiative (NHI) is the public program that assists individuals with DD who are not eligible for DDS services to transition from nursing homes to the community.

The Independent Living Department manages numerous programs including the Independent Living Centers Program, Turning 22-IL Program, Adult Supported Living Program, Housing Registry, Assistive Technology Program, IL Services Program and Home Modification Loan Program Vocational Testing- Job Matching-Occupational Specific Web-based Training Initiative The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) is the lead agency in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responsible for assisting people with disabilities in their efforts to choose, obtain and maintain employment in their respective communities based on their choices, interests, skills, and needs. MRC utilizes a variety of educational, rehabilitation, situational assessments/ evaluations, situational trainings, and job placement services provided by MRC staff and providers to achieve successful employment outcomes for consumers.

In order to ensure MRC consumers are competitive in the labor market MRC would like to procure specific web-based occupational testing and occupation web-based skills development services to facilitate employment outcomes for consumers. MRC’s Job Placement Specialists and Employment Services Specialists have identified a series of occupational skills from employers as being in high demand in the Commonwealth’s labor market. MRC’s analysis of labor market and occupational trends in Massachusetts further confirms the demand for these skills by employers. MRC needs to enhance its testing, skill development, and job matching process to assist our consumers to achieve employment outcomes in the local labor market.

MRC seeks to develop a pilot project to secure occupational web-based testing, skills development and job matching services for its consumers in the following areas:

· Microsoft Office Suite (2003, 2007, and 2010)

· Microsoft Word

· Beginner and Advanced levels, to include content and tests such as but not limited to: working with text and paragraphs, formatting, using tables, graphs, and charts.

· Microsoft Excel

· Beginner and Advanced levels, to include content and tests such as but not limited to: basic features of Excel, Excel formulas and functions, data analysis and management, formatting data, and charts and graphs.

· Microsoft Power Point

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: creating presentations in Power Point, slide layout and design, customizing power point presentations, using visuals in presentations, adding graphics and multimedia to presentations.

· Customer Service

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: customer service fundamentals, customer service over the phone, dealing with confrontation, conflict, and difficult customers, internal customer service, and a customer service skills simulation.

· Call Center

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: customer service over the phone, dealing with confrontation, conflict, and difficult customers, and a customer service skills simulation.

· Administrative Assistant and Receptionist

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Essentials for professional telephone calls, basics of listening, using email and electronic communication effectively, skills for administrative support professionals, and a simulation.

· Office and Clerical Support

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Intrapersonal communication, time management, business writing, editing, and proofreading, and business grammar.

· Packing and Product Preparation

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Health and safety in the workplace, back safety and injury prevention, and making teams work.

· Shipping and Receiving

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Back safety and injury prevention, being an effective team member, and managing your career.

· Materials Inspection

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Health and Safety in the workplace, time management, and a decision making skills simulation.

· Preparation for Employment

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: managing your career, professional networking, the basics of listening, and intrapersonal communication.

· Equipment Assembly

· To include content and tests such as but not limited to: Health and safety in the workplace, back safety and injury prevention, working with difficult people, and making teams work.

These tests need to be web-based and validated against occupational/industry specific requirements which will assist a Qualified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in development of Individual Plans for Employment and services that will enable our consumers to develop the skills needed to achieve a successful employment outcome. This testing and training approach and strategy will also assist MRC’s Job Placement Specialists (JPS) in matching our consumers’ skills to specific employment opportunities identified in the labor market.

The pilot project is intended to serve approximately 50 to 100 MRC Vocational Rehabilitation consumers through September 30, 2012. The results of these tests should be linked to a potential employment opportunity for a specific MRC consumer. These services need to be available for MRC consumers for potential employment opportunities in the following geographic areas:

· Greater Boston area, including Downtown Boston and Quincy

· Greater Lowell

· North Shore, including Salem

· Greater Metro-West, including Framingham and Milford

· Greater Worcester Area

MRC reserves the right to extend this project to other areas throughout the state and to exercise options to renew based on the evaluation of the initial pilot and depending on the availability of resources.

Please Note: This RFR document is a single document associated with a complete Solicitation that can be found on Comm-PASS. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements found in all tabs and related forum records for the entire Solicitation.