Allies Career Support Services
“There is no better feeling for my husband and me than to see our daughter Jennifer in her work apron just being one of the employees. It gives me such pride to see her part of the community making a contribution, learning new skills, and feeling good about her work.”
– Cindy Trimble, mother of Jennifer who is supported by Allies
A major milestone on the path to independence is getting that first job. It’s not always easy, particularly for someone with disabilities. In fact, nearly 80 percent of people with disabilities are either unemployed or underemployed. Allies does everything possible to change that. The agency offers a full range of support services that help students and adults find meaningful employment where they can be successful and thrive.
Meet Thomas (age 33). For nearly three years, he tried to get an interview at the Regional Sewerage Authority. He knew that he had solid landscaping and maintenance skills and wanted more than anything to find a good job to support his wife and young son. When a position in the authority finally opened, Thomas jumped at the opportunity to apply. Thomas’ application was impressive and he was chosen out of a pool of 50 applicants for a follow-up interview. He knew he had a good shot at the job, as long as they were willing to accommodate his disability. Thomas is completely deaf.
When it came time for the interview, Allies Job Coach Laura accompanied Thomas to help him communicate with the staff. His interviewers liked Thomas right away. He was a qualified candidate, but his deafness was an issue. Sewerage plants can be dangerous places and the plant’s management was concerned for Thomas’s safety because they could not easily communicate with him for necessary training. But Laura knew that Thomas could do the job well. She immediately reached out to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to gain approval to start training Thomas in occupational safety and hazard procedures, first aid, fire safety, CPR, homeland security protocol, and other skill sets. It worked. Thomas was hired and has been successfully employed at the authority for over a nearly two years.
Laura continues to work with Thomas to provide ongoing support whenever he needs it and helps management overcome communication issues through simple accommodations and easy techniques. As it turned out, communication with his fellow employees hasn’t even been an issue. In fact, many of them are learning how to sign with Thomas. Together they are working side-by-side and learning from each other to get the job done.
Hiring Great Employees: The Employer Perspective
“Robbie, I would like to personally thank you for your hard work and service to WAWA. You are an inspiration to those that you encounter. Your positive attitude and diligent work ethic allows both customers and fellow associates to feel at ease and welcome in your store. Thank you for living our values and showing all of us what it means to really value people.”
-– Message to Robbie from WAWA CEO Howard Stoeckel
We’ve spent a decade building strong relationships in business and industry with partners like WaWa who hire the people we support. Allies hears from these employers all the time praising the work of our participants. We are never surprised but always pleased to get those calls because the people we support embody the values of dedication and commitment and are always looking to build on their skills and experience. They are an untapped workforce of remarkable people waiting to put their talents to work toward a meaningful career.
Employers that partner with Allies receive dedicated and exceptional workers along with the support from our agency that helps the people we support excel on the job. We are very proud of the success rate of our on-site job coaching and follow-along services. We know that by working closely with the employer and providing the needed support to our clients, we can ensure that they are productive employees that are able to retain their jobs and thrive in their careers.