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APSE 2019 Universal Employment Competencies
The APSE National Professional Development Committee members are pleased to release APSE’s 2019 updated competencies, in response to the changing landscape in the field of supported employment. The original competencies were created in 2001, the new updates reflect current practices, language and standards. Over the course of eight months the team analyzed each domain and the corresponding competencies to determine if they were still relevant and had person first language.
At first glance you will notice that the title of the competencies has changed to Association of People Supporting Employment First’s Universal Employment Competencies. Supported Employment encompasses several areas; for example, both competitive integrated employment and customized employment professionals can use these updated competencies as a foundation of the knowledge and skills required to make employment first a reality around the nation.
As the team updated the competencies, they aligned them with Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators Competencies (which were modeled after the original APSE Competencies) and the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) Domains. The Universal Employment Competency domains are:
- Application of Core Values and Principles to Practice
- Discovery/Individualized Assessment and Employment/Career Planning
- Community Research and Job Development, Workplace and Related Supports, and Long-term Supports and Services
The APSE National Professional Development Committee’s goal for the new competencies to provide a framework and structure for a well-trained, competent, and passionate workforce of employment support professionals. Currently, APSE is in the process of gathering feedback from the Membership Survey on training needs within specific competencies. Webinars and other professional development resources will be created based on the results.