Hiring those with disabilities: Webinar to discuss process — and value

It’s easy to talk about the idea of hiring those with any type of disability — how it is the ultimate measure of inclusionary company policies, one that brings value far beyond the bottom line.

Figuring out how a company begins the process of finding such employees — and the steps it needs to take to ensure the effort is a success for all involved — is not as easy.

Thursday at 9 a.m. the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, and its numerous coalition partners including Easterseals New Jersey, Spectrum Works and the Arc of New Jersey, is holding an hourlong virtual event that sheds light on all of the issues, called: “Hiring People with Disabilities: On-the-Job Training for Individuals with Disabilities.”

Register here.

Chrissy Buteas, chief government affairs officer for NJBIA, said the goal is to discuss benefits and the process of hiring and training individuals with disabilities and how they help companies thrive.

More than that, Buteas said, it is to bring understanding to a process that so many are interested in but don’t know how to take the first step.

In addition to an overview, the program will have three 10-minutes panels in which an employee, an employer and an employment specialist talk about specific on-the-job examples, taking questions as they go.

“We want employers to be able to see the experience of others,” Buteas said.

 The coalition

A look at the organizations supporting the effort:

  • Access NJ
  • Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities
  • ARC of NJ
  • ASAH
  • Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey
  • Commerce and Industry Association of N.J.
  • Community Access Unlimited
  • Community Options, Inc.
  • Easterseals New Jersey
  • Jewish Vocational Services of MetroWest
  • N.J. Association of Community Providers
  • New Jersey Business & Industry Association
  • N.J. Chamber of Commerce
  • N.J. Council of County Colleges
  • N.J. Council on Developmental Disabilities
  • N.J. Department of Human Services
  • N.J. Association of People for Employment First
  • N.J. Department of Labor & Workforce Development
  • Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Rowan University
  • Spectrum Works
  • The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities

The webinar is the latest in a series of events, some of which go back to former state Sen. Steve Sweeney, who was a big supporter of these efforts.

Some of the previous events discussed established career paths, both in training and in academics. This webinar will be focused more to employers.

“We want to be able to answer the question: You’re ready to hire, what are the resources available to you?” Buteas said.

Those resources can include grants from the state, she said.

Here’s a look at the program. Register here.

On-the-Job Training for Individuals with Disabilities

  • Welcome and opening remarks: Chrissy Buteas, NJBIA
  • Overview of programs: Burt Brooks, creative services manager, Easterseals NJ
  • Three on-the-job-training panels: Millville public library, Green Light Development, Community Supports Network
  • J. Department of Labor & Workforce Development: Nick Toth (Office of Apprenticeships) and Barbara Stockton (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation)
  • Audience Q&A: Moderated by Alexis Bailey, NJBIA
  • Closing remarks: Buteas, NJBIA