Employers Use Manpower for Hiring People with Disabilities
Author: Manpower
Published: 2011/02/03 - Updated: 2022/06/14
Topic: United States Employment - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Manpower Project Ability program places people with disabilities into high-demand jobs with employers nationwide. A key component of Project Ability is the partnership with leading community-based organizations that have relationships with candidates with the skill sets that businesses need. Through this collaboration, Manpower and its partners serve as the conduit to connect these individuals to meaningful employment opportunities with local employers.
Introduction
Manpower's Project Ability program, a collaborative approach to placing people with disabilities into high-demand jobs with employers nationwide, has expanded into the Boston market following a successful pilot in San Jose, Calif. Manpower, in collaboration with community-based partners in each market, has already placed 115 individuals with disabilities into employment in San Jose and Boston. Plans are in place to launch Project Ability programs in Chicago and Houston in the first quarter of 2011, with an additional five markets later this year.
Main Item
"Manpower's commitment to people with disabilities has been at the forefront of our workforce development efforts for many years," said Jorge Perez, Manpower's senior vice president of staffing for North America. "What is unique about Project Ability is its replicable and flexible framework that brings the benefits of collaboration between employers and community organizations to more effectively and efficiently address the needs of this population market by market."
A key component of Project Ability is the partnership with leading community-based organizations that have relationships with candidates with the skill sets that businesses need. Through this collaboration, Manpower and its partners serve as the conduit to connect these individuals to meaningful employment opportunities with local employers. The San Jose-area community-based organizations aligned with Project Ability are Project HIRED, TransAccess as well as the California State Department of Rehabilitation.
"Project Ability provides a talent solution that works for the benefit of employers, people with disabilities, and the community-at-large," said Jan Sonneman executive project lead for Manpower's Project Ability program. "Manpower is committed to helping individuals with disabilities find employment in high-demand occupations or careers. With the talent and skills shortage that employers are beginning to experience, tapping into this accessible and large population is very relevant, even globally. Individuals with disabilities represent the country's largest minority throughout all segments of diversity."
Manpower's Project Ability program has already placed 115 individuals with disabilities into employment. The company is currently working with clients and employers to place another 155 individuals in the workplace this year.
"I am grateful to the Manpower team and everyone associated with Project Ability's implementation," said Patrick Scoggins, one of the candidates placed in San Jose. "While the job market continues to be challenging, it's comforting to know that Manpower is helping others in my situation overcome the barriers to employment, one position at a time. I especially liked my first assignment at the San Jose City College Bookstore because it allowed me to do what I do best in the workplace: interact and relate with customers."
San Jose City College Bookstore Manager Gina Bonanno said:
"Individuals, like Patrick, who were placed on assignments here performed extremely well, and I would welcome them back for future needs. On a personal level, I found it to be gratifying to help people gain valuable experience in the workforce."
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Manpower and published on 2011/02/03, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, Manpower can be contacted at manpower.com NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.