In the U.S. today, there are 60+ million working-age people with disabilities. Approximately 74% of these individuals are not employed. Despite ADA regulations and the current labor shortage, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities has remained unchanged for years. Part of the reason for this is that companies do not have an efficient and effective way to hire and retain people with disabilities or others who face barriers to employment. 

Since 1955, PRIDE Industries has created employment for people with disabilities. The company currently employs and provides services to nearly 6,000 people, 60% of whom have a disability. To share its expertise in building and leveraging a diverse workforce, in late 2020, PRIDE Industries launched Inclusive Talent Solutions (ITS), a professional service offering that provides staffing, recruiting, and training to help companies find, hire, and retain talent with disabilities and barriers to employment.

Whether a company is seeking to hire a small team, or recruit 200 people, ITS can source, train, and support an inclusive workforce ideally suited to the company’s needs. Employees are set up for long-term success through job preparation, on-the-job coaching, and skills development customized for the high-volume roles that companies need to keep filled. ITS also offers inclusion training and certification programs, and can help companies identify gaps in their disability inclusion efforts. 

For candidates with developmental and intellectual disabilities, PRIDE Industries offers remote training on daily living, employment, and vocational skills. This allows participants to enter the workforce with the skills needed to be successful both professionally and in their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

In its first year, ITS helped 10 large organizations staff their organizations with people with a broad range of visible and invisible disabilities. ITS also enabled these companies to incorporate inclusion training for their frontline workers and managers, and helped their HR departments create an inclusive workplace culture.

In addition to helping companies increase their workforce diversity, PRIDE Industries also played a crucial role during the pandemic. When many service providers shut down due to COVID-19, PRIDE Industries provided virtual employment readiness services to over 1,000 people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. As a result, many people with disabilities now experience the dignity of a paycheck, and employers have expanded their talent acquisition strategies to include a new group of reliable, ready workers.

Matt Anderson