Prepared for November 3, 2010 Work-based Learning Symposium

1. Career Development for Individuals with
Disabilities Through Internships, Mentoring,
and Apprenticeships
Presented by:
Chrystal R. McArthur
Senior Associate Director
Rutgers University – Career Services
mcarth@echo.rutgers.edu
careerservices.rutgers.edu

2. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Why This Topic is Important
“Disability Community Can Be a Vital Addition to Labor Force”
Dr. John Roskoski,
• “A community or society in general is made up of various types of
people of different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities and abilities.
For society to prosper and grow, all theses types of people must
contribute and work with each other.”
• The Department of Labor indicates the number of available workers
is going to decline because of retirements
• New Jersey has a shortage because of people moving out of state
• New Jersey created a strategic plan to create a comprehensive
employment system for people with disabilities (February 15, 2008)
• Disabled population is one of the most impoverished in the nation
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

3. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Disability Statistics – State of New Jersey 2008
• Approximately 7.7% of population (21-64) reported a disability
Vision/Hearing 3.2
Cognitive (Mental) 5.9
Ambulatory (Physical) 4.0
Self Care 1.5
• Approximately 4.1% of population (16-20) reported a disability
highest rate was cognitive 3.1%
Source – New Jersey Disability Status Report
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

4. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Some Statistics
What US Employers Report as Barriers to Employment
Barriers to Employers Hiring People with Disabilities
Work Trends: Restricted Access, 2005
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

5. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
What Companies are doing…
• Partnering with high schools and community colleges
• Sponsoring On-the-Job Training Program
• Customizing jobs tailored to job seekers abilities
• Establishing recruitment pipelines using paid/unpaid
internships, job shadowing, and career days
• Supporting national programs such as the National Business
and Disability Council www.business-disability.com
continued
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

6. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
What Companies are doing…
• Supporting affinity groups and disability networks
• Publications and websites reflect people with disabilities
• Participating in national and local disability networks
• Sponsoring mentoring days
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

7. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
DiversityInc. Magazine Top 10
Companies for Disabilities - 2010
• IBM Corp.
• Ernst & Young
• Procter & Gamble
• Aetna
• KPMG
• Cisco Systems
• SC Johnson
• Eli Lilly & Co.
• Merck & Co.
• Sodexo
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

8. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Creative Initiatives
Entrepreneurial Ventures – “Community Options”
Job Search & Networking – JobEnable.com
Socially Responsible Ventures – “Men with Mops”
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

9. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
DVR – Supported Employment
1. Places client in 3 different situations to test their employability
2. Develop an employment plan
3. Find place where they can survive
4. Select a job coach
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

10. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Resources and Initiatives
• ODEP – U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Employment
www.odep.gov
• Workforce Recruitment Program – Department of Labor
(recruits college students for internships and full-time jobs)
212-521-4469
• Lime Connect, In – www.limeconnect.com
• Job Enable.com – www.jobenable.com
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

11. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Resources and Initiatives con’t
• NTAR LeadershipCenter – www.ntarcenter.org at the John
Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers, the
State University of New Jersey (collaborative effort with
selected states to develop pioneering models to promote
employment for adults with disabilities)
• AmeriCorps (State/National) – www.americorp.gov
• Ticket to Work Program – (Information from the Social
Security Administration, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
customizing jobs) email - tickettowork@cessi.net
• American Association for People with Disabilities –
www.aspd.com
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

12. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Resources
• Cornell University – funded by U.S. Department of Education
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Cornell
is Northeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
• Prudential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities –
www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped/ada
www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped/surveyresults.html
• Program on Employment and Disability Cornell –
607-255-2906 (voice) 607-255-2891(TTY)
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

13. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
What Can We Do as Counselors
• Disability Social History – www.disabilityhistory.org
• National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems
(nationwide network of congressional mandated legally based
disability rights agencies) www.napas.org
• Consider a special outreach to employers to encourage
internship programs for individuals with disabilities
• Encourage your University, College or Organization to have a
counselor who specializes in career and employment issues
for people with disabilities
• Encourage students to join or form student groups such as
NAMI ( National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

14. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Open Forum… your questions & comments
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships

15. Career Planning for Students with Disabilities
Special Thanks to…
• Dr. Gregory Moorhead, Rutgers University Office of Disability Services
• Kathy Loder-Murphy, Rutgers University Office of Disability Services
• Dr. Mark Forest, Rutgers University Counseling and Psychological Services
• Ms. Mary Jane Washaw and Ms. Sheena Majiduddin, Middlesex County
Community College, Project Connections and the Counseling and Career
Services Office
• Ms. Kathy Krepcio, The John Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Internships, Mentoring & Apprenticeships