Elsevier/DirectCourse’s College of Employment Services (CES) curriculum is now aligned with the national certification from APSE, the Association for People Supporting Employment 1st, a national organization dedicated to integrated employment and career advancement for people with disabilities. APSE recently developed the first national certification program for employment support professionals.

DirectCourse, Elsevier’s suite of online curricula to train professionals and families who support people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, includes the College of Direct Support, an online curriculum for direct support professionals, and the CES, an integrated, web-based curriculum designed for professionals who guide people with disabilities and other challenges toward rewarding careers.

All active members of APSE are eligible for a preferred rate of up to 25 percent off the purchase price of DirectCourse curricula. This includes the new CES curriculum, which meets the competencies required for APSE’s certification process. The certification, called CESP (Certified Employment Services Professional), was developed by the APSE’s Employment Services Professional Certification Commission (ESPCC).

“Our partnership with DirectCourse opens many doors for employment support professionals,” said Dr. Laura Owens, Executive Director of APSE. “While APSE and the ESPCC cannot endorse or recommend specific trainings, we acknowledge that the CES curriculum is aligned with the CESP test blueprint and will provide another valuable resource for employment support professionals who wish to attain national
certification.”

Developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the CES curriculum is offered in collaboration with Elsevier/MC Strategies and the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living.

“Building on the continued success of CES’s online curriculum, we are committed to meeting the educational needs of a growing number of community-based workers in a cost-effective and efficient way,” said John Schrefer, President of Elsevier/MC Strategies. “DirectCourse brings together the robust functionality of our Elsevier Performance Manager learning and performance solution with best-in-class curricula developed and guided by APSE and recognized industry leaders.”