WGU Labs Invests in Daivergent to Enhance Workforce Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities
2024年6月29日 - 5:24AM
WGU Labs, the research, development, and investment arm of Western
Governors University, today announced an investment in Daivergent,
the first fully remote, Medicaid-approved job coaching platform for
individuals living with physical or cognitive disabilities. By
highlighting the gap between education and meaningful employment
for these individuals, this investment aims to support a more
inclusive and diverse workforce.
WGU Labs and Daivergent will partner to analyze the current
state of educational and workforce opportunities for populations
covered by vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid waivers. Their
joint work will explore critical areas such as market size,
employment readiness infrastructure, access to benefits, program
outcomes, and economic impact.
"We are thrilled to partner with WGU Labs and put a spotlight on
the enormous opportunity in disability workforce development," said
Byran Dai, co-founder and CEO of Daivergent. "This partnership is a
pivotal step toward ensuring that every individual, regardless of
their physical or cognitive abilities, can achieve meaningful
employment. Together, we are not just highlighting barriers to
self-sufficiency for the one in five Americans with a
neurodivergent condition; we are illuminating how the current
vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid systems can fund innovative
solutions that equip the disability community for the 21st-century
economy."
Daivergent is poised to significantly impact the 27% of the
adult population with disabilities by providing a more direct path
to upskilling and higher-quality employment. By tapping into the $7
billion budgeted to Medicaid and vocational rehabilitation agencies
for employment readiness, Daivergent enables more individuals with
disabilities to access these opportunities regardless of their
financial circumstances. This partnership underscores the
importance of inclusive education and employment and highlights the
economic benefits of fully utilizing the skills and talents of all
Americans.
"Through our investment in Daivergent, WGU Labs seeks to address
the pressing need for better educational and employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities," said Jason Levin,
Executive Director at WGU Labs. "By combining our research
capabilities with Daivergent’s expertise in the disability
community’s workforce development, we aim to create actionable
insights that drive positive change and foster greater inclusion in
the workplace."
The findings from WGU Labs and Daivergent’s research are set to
be released in the fall of 2024.
About DaivergentDaivergent is a virtual
platform that provides job coaching to the 70 million Americans
with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions. As the first
platform covered by vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid
insurance, Daivergent delivers its high-quality workforce
development programs to job seekers with disabilities across the
U.S., supported by Daivergent’s nationwide bench of vetted job
coaches. For more information,
visit https://www.daivergent.com
About WGU LabsWGU Labs is the nonprofit EdTech
consulting, incubation, research, and design arm of Western
Governors University, where our mission is to identify and support
scalable solutions that address the biggest challenges in education
today.
The Accelerator at WGU Labs provides research, market
development, and product enhancement services to early-stage
education businesses. Through these services, as well as financial
investments, the Accelerator advances the scale and impact of
education companies that share its mission to increase student
access, lower student costs, and improve student outcomes. Learn
more at wgulabs.org or follow us on LinkedIn.
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Natalie Berkey
WGU Labs
385-428-9425
natalie.berkey@wgu.edu