Since ACRE began, its members were interested in creating training that was competency-based. We must give credit to APSE (the Association of People Supporting Employment First), a national organization that has promoted community employment for people with disabilities since 1988, for doing the first work on the development of competencies. APSE assembled nationally recognized experts in the field to establish the first set of competencies for employment providers. These competencies covered the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively in the field of employment for people with disabilities.
ACRE embraced these APSE competencies, and then refined and expanded them. Once finalized, these competencies allowed us to develop a process for curriculum review and approval. The expanded competencies included multiple approaches to employment for people with disabilities, including competitive employment, Customized Employment, supported employment, transitional employment, etc. Additionally, these competencies were broken down into 2 levels (Basic and Professional), in order that training could be developed for a basic level of knowledge and skill as well as a professional level of knowledge and skill. In 2013, ACRE revised the Employment Services competencies, to keep in line with the revisions that APSE had mades to its competencies, and in 2021, ACRE released an updated version of the Employment Competencies.
ACRE embraced these APSE competencies, and then refined and expanded them. Once finalized, these competencies allowed us to develop a process for curriculum review and approval. The expanded competencies included multiple approaches to employment for people with disabilities, including competitive employment, Customized Employment, supported employment, transitional employment, etc. Additionally, these competencies were broken down into 2 levels (Basic and Professional), in order that training could be developed for a basic level of knowledge and skill as well as a professional level of knowledge and skill. In 2013, ACRE revised the Employment Services competencies, to keep in line with the revisions that APSE had mades to its competencies, and in 2021, ACRE released an updated version of the Employment Competencies.
ACRE OFFERS TWO TYPES OF COMPETENCIES:
Employment Services & Employment Services with an Emphasis in Customized Employment.
ACRE created the first set of employment services competencies in 2013 based on work with APSE and revised them in 2021.
In 2018, ACRE released is brand new set of competencies with an emphasis on Customized Employment. Similar to how ACRE began developing its competencies based on the work of APSE, this time ACRE began with the work of the Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC), who created a document entitled the Essential Elements of Customized Employment. The new ACRE competencies are a melding of the original Employment Services competencies with the Essential Elements of Customized Employment. These new competencies are separated into 2 levels (Basic and Professional) in order that 2 levels of training curriculum could be available.
ACRE created the first set of employment services competencies in 2013 based on work with APSE and revised them in 2021.
In 2018, ACRE released is brand new set of competencies with an emphasis on Customized Employment. Similar to how ACRE began developing its competencies based on the work of APSE, this time ACRE began with the work of the Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC), who created a document entitled the Essential Elements of Customized Employment. The new ACRE competencies are a melding of the original Employment Services competencies with the Essential Elements of Customized Employment. These new competencies are separated into 2 levels (Basic and Professional) in order that 2 levels of training curriculum could be available.