UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new federal grant led by a Penn State College of Education faculty member aims to help close a critical workforce gap in the nation’s vocational rehabilitation (VR) system by training a new generation of professionals to help people with disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment.
Vocational rehabilitation is a set of comprehensive services to help people with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or advance in their jobs or careers.
The project, funded at more than $824,000 over five years by the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), will support the recruitment, admission, training and employment of 40 new bachelor’s-level rehabilitation counselors and related staff. Each scholar will receive tuition to pursue a bachelor’s degree and financial support for qualifying internships. They will commit to working at least two years in a state VR agency or related setting after graduation.
“This is the first time the RSA has offered the long-term training grant at the bachelor’s level,” said Allison Fleming, associate professor of education and principal investigator on the grant.
The program’s recruitment strategy is guided by SeriaShia Chatters, interim vice provost for educational equity and an affiliate associate teaching professor of counselor education.
"This program is grounded in high-impact learning, from experiential coursework to internship opportunities that lead straight to employment," Chatter said. "Educational Equity is excited to collaborate with the RHS and counselor education programs to expand these pathways and strengthen the vocational rehabilitation workforce."
Fleming previously led a separate RSA grant for graduate students.
“For many years it was only available to master’s students, but VR agencies across the country are now hiring more people with undergraduate degrees to meet growing staffing needs,” she said.
According to the grant proposal, Pennsylvania and neighboring states face more than 900 current and projected vacancies in VR positions over the next five years. Fleming said Penn State’s longstanding rehabilitation and human services (RHS) program, founded in 1958, is well positioned to help meet this demand.
“We have a lot of excellent students in the RHS program who are passionate about helping people meet their life goals,” Fleming said. “This grant helps show them a career path they might not have considered — one with stable employment opportunities and the chance to make a tangible impact.”
Each RSA scholar will complete a 600-hour supervised internship at a state VR agency, giving students real-world experience before they graduate. They also will engage in job shadowing, volunteer work opportunities and additional supervised training through Penn State programs such as WorkLink — a non-residential program that provides the opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in postsecondary experiences and education alongside their peers.
“The internship is an incredible opportunity for students to learn on the job,” Fleming said.
“They’ll gain early exposure to the field, understand the day-to-day realities of the work, and begin forming professional networks that will serve them throughout their careers.”
The grant’s advisory board includes representatives from the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), community agencies, parents of adults with disabilities, and WorkLink graduates. The representatives’ input helps ensure that the curriculum reflects the needs and lived experiences of those who receive VR services, Fleming said.
“It’s important for students who don’t have disability backgrounds to hear directly from people with disabilities and their families,” Fleming said. “Those perspectives make them more thoughtful and effective counselors on day one.”
Fleming said Chatters' involvement will help reach a broader pool of students — including those from underrepresented backgrounds and those with lived experience of disability.
“With her networks in Student Affairs and the Office of Scholars Programs, we can cast a much wider net,” Fleming said. “That office also focuses on connecting students to degree programs with clear career pathways, so this partnership is a natural fit.”
As part of their two-year employment commitment, graduates will receive ongoing mentoring and check-ins to support their transition into professional roles. Faculty connections with OVR and local agencies also aims to help match students with opportunities that fit their skills and interests.
“There’s a real need for new professionals in the VR system,” Fleming said. “The average age of workers in this field is higher than the national average, and turnover has been an issue. We need an infusion of new talent, and this grant will help make that happen.”
Fleming noted that a meaningful job provides not only a paycheck but can also lead to community and belonging, as well as improve access to health care and other benefits.
“Helping people find satisfying employment is one of the most powerful ways we can support independence and quality of life,” she said.
Penn State’s RHS program has a long history of preparing students for roles across disability and human service sectors. Fleming said that legacy makes it an ideal foundation for the RSA training initiative.
“Our curriculum is strongly rooted in lived experiences studies and supporting individuals with a wide range of disabilities, health conditions and life circumstances — exactly the population that VR serves,” she said.
Courses cover topics such as case management, interviewing, assistive technology and employment strategies for people with disabilities, as well as a dedicated course on transition-aged youth and pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS). Fleming highlighted a particular course as a key component of the training plan.
“The employment and disability course emphasizes fair employment practices and accommodations, and it’s cross-listed with labor and human resources,” she said. “That allows future counselors and future employers to learn together, which builds understanding from both sides.”
Fleming added that the RHS program’s existing strengths make the initiative sustainable well beyond the five-year grant cycle. Faculty such as Liza Conyers, professor of education, who serves on the OVR advisory board, have cultivated long-standing relationships with state agencies, ensuring continued collaboration.
“Our program was already an ideal fit for this opportunity,” Fleming said. “We didn’t have to make major changes to be competitive — we just needed to formalize what we were already doing well.”
Recruitment for the first cohort of RSA scholars will begin in spring 2026, with the first awards expected by summer and fall.
“Vocational rehabilitation may be one of the best-kept secrets in public service,” Fleming said. “We want to change that — and show students that it’s a rewarding and impactful career path.”