The Wisconsin Legislature established the Partners with Business initiative to assist businesses interested in employing people with disabilities using an evidence-based coaching model. During the past state fiscal year, Partners with Business provided grant funds and coaching to five Supported Employment agencies.

Each spring, BPDD selects grantees through an application process. These grantees get support to use best practices to train and support workers with disabilities. These strategies result in cost-effective and inclusive employment. They help businesses fill workforce shortages and diversify their teams.

The Partners with Business initiative collected employment data from 17 participants with disabilities to assess the impact on Medicaid savings when service providers and employers invest in stronger partnerships. We found that strong partnerships are associated with a 30% reduction in the number of publicly funded job-coaching supports needed. This saved the public system an average of $4,001 per person annually, or about $68,016 for this cohort alone this year.