Nearly two dozen businesses teamed up with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SC DEW) for an employment summit for a unique group of students at USCA.
The event was for students in the university’s LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone) program. It is a college program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. It is in its third year of helping the students.
“They spend two to four years with us in the program, learning skills in academics, independent living, like cooking and cleaning safely, as well as social engagement. The employment side of it is a big one for us, because how are you going to live independently if you can’t afford to live on your own?” Monica Martin, outreach coordinator, explained for ABD.
The summit gave students the chance to hand out resumes and practice their “elevator pitch” as they interacted with employers.
“Some of our employers here today will actually have some jobs that our students can apply for, so we’re hoping our students could maybe get some employment, whether that be summer employment or just daily employment,” said Martin. “They work every day through the program, but this would get them a paid job out in the community.”
Among the employers participating in the summit was Heartfelt Home Care.
“We are here to hire personal care aides as well as LPNs and RNs,” said Administrator Etta Smith. “Most of our clients are vets. We service the Augusta, Georgia, VA, as well as the Columbia, South Carolina, VA. We go into the home, and we assist the clients with their activities of daily living.”
Tameka Johnson, Regional Manager with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, said they began working with the LIFE program about a year ago.
“We did workshops with them, and we wanted to have an employer summit, just to get the awareness of individuals who weren’t aware of the program, getting employers to know more about the program and how we can assist these students to be employed in the workforce,” she said.
Getting employers to hire individuals with disabilities is not a concern only in South Carolina.
In late 2023, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce issued a report called The War for Talent, outlining the shortage of job applicants to fill open positions in every industry. Chris Clark, President and CEO of the state chamber, said there are four untapped talent pools, including veterans who want to work, refugees who came to the U.S. looking for work, formerly incarcerated adults, and individuals with handicaps.
Andre Bourgeois, branch manager with Recruiting Solutions, said his business is prepared to find employment for disabled individuals.
“What we do is we try to do a detailed interview to figure out which of our clients we can help place these folks at,” he said. “We always have to be willing to explore every opportunity that comes available.”
Smith agreed, adding that her company has training programs to help applicants with challenges.
“We do know that those with challenges are very caring. They have some of the most compassionate hearts you’ll ever see. And this is what a lot of our vets will need. Is someone with compassion, patience, and just that need to care for them,” she said.
Martin said as the LIFE program enters its fourth year, it will have about 40 students participating. She said support from businesses is vital to help students find employment and lead independent lives.
“This is a great opportunity that definitely wouldn’t be able to happen without those employers being here. Even just giving our students the time to practice interacting with other folks is so important and valuable,” she said. “They see us every day, and so being able to interact with someone they don’t know is very important.”
Johnson said the students will be an asset to businesses that hire them. She said SC DEW will continue to work with the LIFE program.
“This is one day, but it’s not the last day. This is something that we’re going to continue, and outside of the hiring event. Our team is also spreading this awareness to employers,” she said.
More information about the LIFE program is at www.usca.edu/departments/usca-life/
Businesses wishing to learn more about participating in the program can email LSWDAinfo@lscog.org or uscalife@usca.edu.
