AHEAD Conference 2012

1. AHEAD Conference 2012 Howard Green, NOD Veronica Porter, Northeastern University Elizabeth Gaillard, AAAS Anne Fitzsimmons, NOD July 2012

2. Agenda • NOD • Pipeline & Disconnect Issue • OFCCP • Case Studies – RIT, Sodexo • NACE • Northeastern University • AAAS • Q & A • Discussion

3. The National Organization on Disability: A 30 year-old, non-profit with a focus on employment for people with disabilities It’sability, not disability, that counts • Mission: Expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. • Focus: Increase employment opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for the 33 million working-aged Americans with disabilities.

4. NOD’s innovative approaches to disability employment are in five key areas

5. The current state of disability employment largely focuses on individuals with disabilities (the supply) rather than employment opportunities within companies committed to diversity hiring practices (the demand) • Hiring managers are trained and hiring people with disabilities is business as usual • Candidates continuously sourced by service providers producing a pipeline of qualified talent • People with disabilities are readily considered for career advancement opportunities • Successful partnerships decrease the level of effort by employers (streamlining the hiring process) • Employers don’t identify people with disabilities as a ready source for talent • Those that do -- do not know where to find them • Employers find the public disability employment system daunting • Service providers do not speak the language of employers; and success metrics vary 5

6. OFCCP Proposed Regulations • Federal contractors and subcontractors with $50,000 or more will be required to comply • 7% of all staff (starting with new hires) should be employees with disabilities • New Recruitment Efforts (document & report) • List all job openings with the nearest Employment One-Stop Career Center; • Enter into a linkage agreements with 3 “providers”

7. What’s Wrong With This Picture? • B.A Mathematics –June 2007 • B.A Economics – June 2007 ( Honors) • M.S Mathematics – January 2010 • Work Experience • Hamilton Lane Advisors –Summer Intern (May-August 2006 • Statman Analyst Research Intern – Feb,2010-June2010 • Blackfeather Enterprises LLC (telecommute) July-August 2011 • Skills- C++ Perl, Python, VBA, MATLAB, SPSS, AMOS, SRATA,LATEX, LexisNexis, Access, SQL, MySQL, Power Point, Excel, ASP, Ajax PHP • Certification – CMFS, Six Sigma Green Belt Lean/DFSS • Senior Class Treasurer

8. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? • OVER PAST FIVE YEARS • TWO DEGREES • APPLIED FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED POSITIONS • 100 INTERVIEWS(HOURS OF APPLICATIONS WORK) • NOT A SINGLE JOB OFFER • BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENT • Lack of exposure to disability • Lack of internal structure from businesses to move candidates with disabilities beyond the initial interview. • Outside placement groups unable to help.

9. Key Issues

10. “One of the great obstacles faced by employers when diversifying their workforce is the difficulty in sourcing candidates with disabilities with the required skill sets necessary to fill entry- level to mid-level positions.” ~ Todd Harbaugh, EVP and COO Sam’s Club North America

11. “One of the greatest obstacles faced by career services practitioners in providing programming and services to students with disabilities is the disconnect that often exists between career services and disability services.”   ~ Kara Leonard, RIT Career Services

12. NOD’s Objective To highlight a major issue identified from our work with over a dozen employers and offer recommendations based on lessons learned to: • Improve employment opportunities and outcomes for students with disabilities • Facilitate more collaborative and effective relationships between University Disability Offices and Career Offices and employers • Make recruiting efforts by employers more productive which will have a positive impact on both the employer’s and university’s bottom line.

13. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) – a best practice model • Voluntary release form instituted in October, 2010 • 300 students to date • Training provided to all career services practitioners on specific needs of job seekers with disabilities – • Liaison between Career Office and Disability Office • Website resources developed for job seekers with disabilities and employers • Workplace accommodations, disclosure process • Course offered on ways to navigate the job search process, with emphasis on soft skill development and how to effectively disclose a disability • Jointly taught • Of 9 students who participated, 7 employed 13

14. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) • Team-approach model to support students in employment search • Career Services, Disability Services, Spectrum Support, Academic Advisors • Collaboration continues until employment Outcome: In the past year this model has been used to assist seven students, and all seven successfully obtained employment 14

15. Sodexo is one employer who has struggled to find talent with disabilities at the university level • Sodexo Buffalo Financial Services Center - Difficulty sourcing candidates with disabilities for entry-level to mid-level positions – Accounting, IT • Collaborate with University of Buffalo and Canisius College • Sodexo Talent Acquisition Group (TAG) developed e-card to communicate job openings to the local universities’ Career Offices and Disability Offices • The design allows for the e-card to be sent to all students and students with disabilities via listserv. • E-card includes a link to a video created by Sodexo’s ERG – demonstrating commitment to and appreciation of hiring people with disabilities for their abilities.

16. Sodexo E-card http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD4pyKZPTkE

17. What Can Career & Disability Offices Do? • Appoint Career Services Liaison to Disability Office and Alumni Office and take a “team approach” towards student employment • Provide training for Career Office practitioners • Institute a “Release Form” to allow students with disabilities to give permission to share their names with the Career Office (e.g., RIT) • Ensure University Career and Disability Office’s websites post job openings and information on companies who are disability friendly • Communicate job openings to all students through the Career Office and Disability Office via listserv (e.g., Sodexo e-card) • Develop/utilize database to capture & track pertinent contact information on students with disabilities (with permission) in order to assist employers in recruitment and communicate post – grad • Offer a class (and jointly-teach) on the employment process, disclosing a disability and requesting accommodations. • Stay abreast of OFCCP regulations

18. What Can Employers Do? • Establish relationship and collaborate with University Career Offices and Disability Offices • Enlist help of Employee Resource Group • Ensure University Career and Disability Office’s websites post job openings and information on companies who are disability friendly • Communicate job openings to all students via the Career Office and Disability Office listserv (e.g., Sodexo e-card) • Have an on-campus presence at job fairs and workshops • Use an identifier to indicate that you represent a disability- friendly employer (e.g., lapel ribbon used at UAK) • Enlist members of Employee Resource Group (ERG) to attend on-campus job fairs, workshops

19. Resources NACE Spotlight Articles – February, 2012 Helping Students With Disabilities Make Key Decisions  --- www.naceweb.org/s02292012/students-with-disabilities/ --- College version Making Critical Connections to Students With Disabilities --- www.naceweb.org/s02292012/recruit-students-disability/ --- Employer version Best Practices: Recruiting Students With Disabilities --- www.naceweb.org/s02292012/recruiting-disability/ --- Employer version Websites: National Organization on Disability www.nod.org NACE www.naceweb.org AAAS Entry Point! www.entrypoint.org

20. Contacts Howard Green greenh@nod.org Marilyn Mackes mmackes@naceweb.org Veronica Porter v.porter@neu.edu Elizabeth Galliard efgaillard@yahoo.com Kara Leonard kmloce@rit.edu Anne Fitzsimmons fitzsimmonsa@nod.org

21. National Association of Colleges and Employers2012 AHEAD ConferenceNew OrleansJuly 9-14

22. NACE: Who Are We? • Mission: NACE leads the community of professionals focused on the employment of the college educated by providing access to relevant knowledge, resources, insight and relationships. • Member Profile: • 2000 Higher Education Institutions • 1000 Employer Organizations • An additional 5000 individual members • Student Reach: More than 1M per year through Career Services offices • Core Value: Foster and support individual and organizational diversity and inclusion in all facets of the organization.

23. NACE: Attention to Disability and Employment • NACE Diversity & Inclusion Statement • Member Competencies • NACE Content & Professional Development For Members • Annual Conference, Employer Roundtables, Metro Member Events, Webinars • Spotlight Newsletter Articles • Journal Articles (sample provided) For Students • Job Choices Magazine Articles

24. Moving Forward: What Can We All Do Better? • Increase awareness among employers through strategic alliances and collaborations. • Create stronger ties and action plans between campus disability and career services offices. • Create tools and content to assist students with disabilities with the job search and interviewing process.

25. Example of What NACE Provides Employers and Career Services Members Disclosure of a Disability In a Job Interview By Betsy Johnsen, Esq.

26. For more information: Marilyn Mackes NACE Executive Director mmackes@naceweb.org

27. Northeastern University History of the Disability Resource Center at NU. Experiential Education/Co-op is an important component of the curriculum. Access to the Co-op program has been an important reason why students choose NU. Access to Career Services

28. Wrap Around Experiential Education Model for Success – NUConnect* * A Strategic Partnership between the Co-op Program, Disability and Career Services

29. Workshops - External N’ the Know Webinars, (COSD) • Disclosure, Self Advocacy and Accommodations • Disclosure, Apparent/Non-Apparent Disabilities • Career Development of College Students with Disabilities • Experiential Education and Students with Disabilities • Career Development for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

30. Coaching Model Holistic Systems Approach Characterized by: • Collaboration • Advocacy • Knowledge and resources • Feedback

31. Collaboration • Assemble your team: (DRC, Co-op, Career Services, external agencies, parents, academic advisors) • Consult with the team members to share information and contribute their expertise

32. Advocacy • Advocacy vs. Advising • Initiate a conversation about disclosing-model self-advocacy • Create a database of external partners including employers -(employer advisory group) • Add self-advocacy skills to your curriculum (how to be a mentee)

33. Knowledge of Disabilities and Resources • Increase your knowledge of and internal and external resources • Include these resources on your team with the student’s permission. • Aspergers Association of New England, Voc. Rehab, Mass office of Disability, Workforce Recruitment Program, COSD, AHEAD, AAAS-EntryPoint, for example.

34. Feedback • Schedule frequent meetings with students • Follow up with employers • Check in with team to create a best practices model of service

35. Workshops - Internal How to Work with Students with: • Aspergers Syndrome • Learning Disabilities/ADHD Upcoming Workshops • Psychiatric Issues • Chronic illness and Mobility issues • Deaf, Hard of Hearing & Vision Impaired

36. Employer Advisory Committee • Improve access to employment for students with disabilities. Purpose: • Target employers in various industries to create mutually beneficial partnerships. Goals: • Develop strategies to help students be better prepared for interviewing, working. • Share best practices. • Increase employment opportunities.

37. Next Steps • Established a LinkedIn group to share resources • Employer-in residence at the Disability Resource Center • Targeted promotion for specific positions • Employer-led Panels and workshops • Host a webinar at the company • Invite students to employer site • Disability mentoring Day such as done by Blue/Cross and Job Shadowing, i.e. Bridgewater State • Employer panel at NE AHEAD to share ideas for creating environments that attract differently abled people and to reach out to other colleges more efficiently • Informational Interviews with students with disabilities. • Internship/Coop programs to recruit students for the future positions-long-term relationship building

38. Entry Point!www.entrypoint.orgProject on Science, Technology, and DisabilityAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceAHEAD/NODNew Orleans, LA June, 2012

39. What is Entry Point! ? • Internship Program; typically 10-12 weeks, for college students with disabilities. • An employer partnership program. • A skills development and career mentoring program. • A portal into a science or engineering career for talented students.

40. How We Recruit • College/University Disability & Career Services Professionals • Diversity and disability advocacy groups • Professional and scholarly associations • Internet/Facebook • Relationships that span 20+ years

41. What We Require • Minimum 3.0 GPA • Majoring in Physical Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Business) • Full-time enrollment in 4 year as undergrad or grad; or 2 year with intent to transfer to 4 year program • U.S. citizen or holding a valid work permit, international students if desired • Willingness to relocate

42. How Students Benefit • Experience in a real work setting • Paid assignments • Travel stipend (fare to/from internship site) • Assistance in finding housing and local transportation • Using accommodations in a work environment

43. Current Partners • NASA/ACCESS • IBM • NSF • NIH • Merck • Lockheed Martin • Ball Aerospace • Dow Chemical • USDA • L’Oreal

44. What Partners Get • SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS • Diverse workforce • Unique approaches to business problems • Perspectives and experiences that reflect customer base • Individualized fit with current internship program • Ongoing support; student, mentor, manager • Help with securing accommodations

45. Our Success Rate • 650+ Placements • 590+ Individuals • 18 pursuing or have received Ph.D. • 92 % of intern alumni are either still enrolled or currently employed in science or engineering related field

46. Entry Point! Contacts Ric Weibl, Sr. Project Director rweibl@aaas.org 202-326-6674 Laureen Summers, Program Associate lsummers@aaas.org 202-326-6649 Betty Gaillard, Recruiter efgaillard@yahoo.com 214-763-6270 Jean Morrell, Recruiter jeanlmorrell@aol.com 775-848-2550