Hiring College Students with Disabilities Innovative Strategies for Success

Transcription

1 Hiring College Students with Disabilities Innovative Strategies for Success Presenters: Ann Macheledt (Minnesota Business Leadership Network) Tom Lynch (MN AHEAD) Dawn Kirchner (Mayo Clinic) Anastasia Damyan (Mentee) Kathleen McDowell (Reverse Job Fair Candidate)

2 Welcome & Introductions Introduce yourself and where you are from Take 5 minutes to discuss with someone at your table the following question: What are some of the key challenges in recruiting college students with disabilities?

3 Why are we here? Qualified individuals with disabilities are often an untapped market. In 2016, the US Department of Labor statistics reported: Labor Force Participation rate for people with disabilities was 20.4% (68.4% for those w/o disabilities) Unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities was 10.2% (4.7% for people w/o disabilities) 37% of MN college graduates with disabilities were not participating in the labor force This issue connected strongly with MNBLN s mission and the D&I goals of our members.

4 Minnesota Business Leadership Network (MNBLN) & Its Partners

5 Intro to MNBLN Began in 2000, certified as a 501c3 in 2003 Mission: An employer led endeavor that promotes best practices that enhance employment and career opportunities for skilled candidates with disabilities.

6 Intro to MNBLN An affiliate of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) Our mentoring program was modeled after USBLN's Rising Leaders Mentoring Program. MN AHEAD was a collaborating partner in developing and implementing our Career Connections Mentoring Program.

7 MNBLN Members Business Members Large, medium and small Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE) Governmental entities Providers Community organizations and nonprofits Governmental entities and academic institutions For more information go to

8 MNBLN Career Connections Mentoring Program

9 Our Mentoring Program Emphasis Career readiness Creating the pipeline for business Growing the knowledge for both individualsmentors and mentees Everyone is on their own journey to discover work that is meaningful and aligns with their values.

10 Mentoring Program Structure & Model 3 month program, February - May Programming included: 2 mentoring contacts per month Webinars (Kick Off and Disability Disclosure Training) communication with TED Talk recordings, resume and networking resources Engagement in MNBLN Member Meetings and other disability related outside events Coordinator provided monthly follow up

11 Mentee Program Eligibility Individuals with disabilities 18 and older meeting one of the following criteria: Enrolled in college Participating in a training or certificate program Recent graduate Mentees were required to: Commit to 4-6 hours a month to the mentoring experience Provide a reference check

12 Mentor Program Eligibility MNBLN member employers (as a priority) and non-member employers that MNBLN had connections with Mentors were required to: Commit to 4-6 hours a month to the mentoring experience Complete a background check and obtain company support for their participation

13 Mentee Application Key Questions What are your career aspirations? What do you hope to get out of this mentoring program and experience? What areas are most important for your mentoring experience? What three soft skills would you like to strengthen?

14 Mentor Application Key Questions How will mentoring help you reach your personal/professional goals? Tell us your confidence rating in specific mentoring areas Preferred major/program/industry or field of mentee match What types of jobs or skills are needed within your company?

15 Pair Matching Considerations 18 participants, 9 mentor/mentee pairs Factors/considerations involved in the matching of pairs: Field of study/industry worked Goal areas of mentees/areas of expertise and confidence level in mentoring areas Availability Preferences Job availability at company

16 Businesses & School Represented Businesses involved Schools represented

17 Minnesota Association on Higher Education and Disability (MN AHEAD) Provides support and education to professionals working with secondary and post-secondary students with disabilities Members: disability resource professionals, student affairs personnel, ADA coordinators, diversity officers, AT/IT staff, faculty and other colleagues invested in higher education

18 Cornell Disability Statistics MNBLN s Career Connections Mentoring Program bridges the gap for students. MN AHEAD Perspective

19 Mentor Perspective

20 Mentor Perspective Key elements of the program Structure - Beginning & End Education Built in support Clear expectations/goal of the program Celebrate successes

21 Mentor Perspective

22 Mentor Perspective Lessons learned Your career pathway has value Listen more and ask questions You may need to move slow to go fast Opening doors can lead to inspiration

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24 Mentee Perspective-Anastasia Commitment + Engagement = Career Success

25 Mentee Perspective-Anastasia Lessons learned Seeking an employer that aligns with my values Improving soft skills by practicing in a safe space Self-advocacy in a work setting Goal setting Identifying strengths by self-reflection

26 Mentoring Program Results 16 individuals total completed the program--8 mentees Post program, mentees reported the following results: 4 full time 3 in school or looking for work 1 part time

27 Mentoring Program Results Anastasia - Leadership Justice Program in Connecticut, full time Jillian - Goodwill Easter Seals, full time Greg - State of MN, full time Katherine - PCA part-time, expected to finish school in December or May Katy - K-12 schools, substitute teaching, full time

28 Mentoring Program Results Madison - sophomore, pre-med Christine no specific employer at the time, but was involved in politics/advocacy work Christina - planned to finish school in May, was looking for internship opportunities, extended her meetings with her mentor over the summer

29 What was most valuable? Mentee The MNBLN's Mentorship Program gave me the opportunity to see what the work environment was like in the real world, especially when presented with accommodations. What I have learned during this mentorship will continue to be referenced when I apply to graduate school and various careers in the future - this is definitely one of the best decisions I have made in my college career!

30 What was most valuable? Mentor It gave me the opportunity to connect not only with a candidate with a disability but also connect with a young, new college grad that is just beginning the start of their adult life. It was an honor to be part of that and help get her started on her life's journey. Note: Additional information and mentoring video can be found at

31 Reverse Job Fair

32 3 Words to Describe Yourself Write down 3 words to describe yourself or 3 words that others might use to describe you Take 5 minutes to discuss with someone at your table. How did that feel? Was it hard or easy?

33 Audience Polling How many of you have participated in or attended a Reverse Job Fair before? What was it like or what do you think this type of job fair involves?

34 Reverse Job Fair The Reverse Job Fair (RJF), in essence, flips the table and allows the job seeker (student) to create a display and presentation to showcase their talents, interests and skills.

35 RJF Benefits For Individuals Candidate Career readiness skill building & networking Candidate in the driver s seat Personalized way to showcase skills and abilities Strengths presented in visual ways Employer insight and feedback for creative career connections

36 RJF Benefits For Employers Employer Access to diverse qualified candidates Increased quality face time Creative ways to learn about an individual & connect based on values Opportunity to match individuals to careers based on strengths

37 Reverse Job Fair Prep One 2 hour hands-on training Homework: Create a poster board and 30 second elevator speech for MNBLN Disability Inclusion Summit & Career Fair

38 Poster Board Questions Poster board should answer the questions: Who you are What you know What you have done What you hope to do

39 Who you are: Poster Board Ideas Your name Your picture Reference to where you are from Words that describe you

40 Poster Board Ideas What you know could be demonstrated by: Skills you feel you have Certifications or degrees you have received Training you have completed Hobbies and interests you have Questions you like to answer Ideas you have

41 What you have done: Poster Board Ideas Volunteer work you have participated in Leadership opportunities you have engaged in Skills you have developed along the way Recognition you have received Personal goals you have achieved Physical things you have produced or work you have done

42 What you hope to do: Poster Board Ideas Jobs or work you are interested in Part or full time work An internship you might be seeking Other career exploration opportunities such as a job shadow, workplace tour, informational interview Gather feedback on where to apply your skills

43 Candidate Poster Board

44 Candidate Perspective-Kathleen

45 Candidate Perspective-Kathleen Key elements of the experience Showed employers I am a multi-dimensional person Helped reduce anxiety to be able to speak to what is important to me Lessons learned Requires an individualized look at the person Learn a lot more about an individual on their terms

46 Employer Perspective Drives a more visual type of resume Provides individuals an opportunity to express ideas and needs in innovative ways Creates comfort zone for interactive dialogue surrounding accommodations Allows individuals with less work history to highlight their strengths

47 What was most valuable? RJF Candidate I am more conscious of presenting myself as competent and a can-do potential employee.

48 Innovative Strategies & Resources

49 Strategies & Resources for Recruiting College Students Build your recruiting network--mn AHEAD, MNBLN, Campus Disability Services, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, community organizations, etc. Take advantage of business education partnership opportunities Explore options for a digital meeting place

50 Strategies & Resources for Recruiting College Students Be proactive about your presence on campus to discuss your business, needs, culture, etc. and get to know students Be open to new and innovative ways for meeting and sourcing candidates mentoring programs, Reverse Job Fairs, visual resumes, virtual career fairs

51 Innovative Strategies Work Caring, knowledgeable people opened the door, took my hand, guided me through, and walked close beside me along the way to discovering options and placement in my career interest. --Mentee

52 Innovative Strategies Work I think we could all make a huge impact on our upcoming workforce if we committed to mentoring a young person. The "inside" information to business best practice can expedite the shift from an educational setting to the employment world for students. Finding a career you can grow into after college gets lost in translation for some of the individuals we support. --Mentor

53 One Action Item Write one action item following today that you will take to engage with college students

54 Questions