Employment Partners
Partner with Us in Possibility.
According to the Institute for Community Inclusion, “people with disabilities are employed at much lower rates than those without disabilities, and people in each disability category are much less likely to be in the labor force than people without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities also fare poorly using the calculation of unemployment rate. People with mental disabilities who receive SSI have the lowest employment rate (percent employed) with only 9% of individuals in this group being employed. While the most striking differences are in overall employment participation, unemployment rates for people with disabilities who are in the labor force are two to three times the unemployment rate for people without disabilities.”
Why Hire People with Disabilities?
People with intellectual disabilities are often extremely loyal and dedicated to their work. With excitement and pride, they fill positions that have a history of high turnover rates, bringing more care and attention to each task than those of us without disabilities. Why? Because having a place of business to report to on a regular basis and being an integral part of a team is a truly meaningful experience for someone with a disability. This high level of job satisfaction results in quality work and on –the-job attitudes that every manager dreams of. Another benefit– these attitudes can be quite infectious, resulting in higher workplace morale across the board. Who doesn’t want happy, motivated employees? Not only are they good for your bottom line, they make your job a little bit easier every day.
Cardinal Cushing Centers actively champions this message. We continually encourage local businesses, our vendors and other supporters to partner with us by providing job opportunities for our older students and adult clients with intellectual disabilities. We can boast that we have over 30 employment partners who provide both paid jobs and internships for the individuals we support. Every opportunity, paid or unpaid, helps individuals with disabilities to improve their skill sets and boost their resumes in an effort to help them achieve and maintain the ideal scenario: a role in the workforce as a paid member. And as many of our employment partners will tell you, this relationship is one that is mutually beneficial. They are not partaking in an act of charity but experiencing the benefits of hiring true assets to their companies.
“The culture in my 26 locations is one of kindness, caring, and teamwork – we really are a family at VERC Enterprises. And our 48 associates with IDD challenges certainly play a key role in this, creating a positive, enthusiastic atmosphere which in turn has made us a successful company. They come to work each day with a smile on their face ready to do their part and they love what they do. I know it may sound a little hokey but the results speak for themselves.” – Leo Vercollone, President & CEO, VERC Enterprises, Inc.
For more information please contact Dawn Freeland, Assistant Director of Vocational Services at e-mail or 781-924-2161 or Angela Gokey, Director of day Services at e-mail or 781-829-4610
