Bridges...From School to Work
Washington, DC

Contact:

Mark R. Donovan
Executive Director
Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities
One Marriott Drive, Department 901.10
Washington, DC 20058
Phone: 301-380-8402
Fax: 301-380-8973
Email: mark.donovan@marriott.com
Website: www.marriottfoundation.org

Mission

The Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, through its "Bridges. . .from school to work" program, seeks to enhance employment opportunity for youth with disabilities. Working collaboratively with all involved, Bridges endeavors to create a stepping stone to productive and fulfilling employment for youth exiting special education and a stepping stone to a rich and largely untapped applicant pool for employers. Grounded in the conviction that youth with disabilities can be employees with capabilities, the program ultimately strives to develop strong, mutually beneficial employer/employee relationships.

• Student-Focused Planning and Development
• Career Pathways and Contextual Learning
• Business, Labor, and Community Involvement

Description

The Foundation currently operates Bridges in seven sites around the country (Atlanta, Chicago, Washington (DC), Fairfax County (VA), Los Angeles, Montgomery County (MD) and San Francisco). In each site the program works collaboratively with the local public school system, youth and employers to achieve results. With the exception of Fairfax and Montgomery Counties the program is located in major urban centers. As a result, most of the youth served must deal not only with their disability, but with a range of other socio/economic challenges as well. Eighty percent of the youth served are members of ethnic minority groups. Because they are preparing to or have just exited special education, participants’ ages typically range from 18 to 22 years.

Each location has a local project office and is staffed with a Project Director, a number (typically ranging from 3 to 10) of Employer Representatives (service delivery staff) and support staff as necessary. In all sites combined, services are provided to 600-800 young people annually.

The program’s mission statement posits a belief that, ‘people with disabilities can be employees

with capabilities.’ However, this will only occur if they are placed in a situation which:

a effectively matches their skills and interests to the requirements of the job,

b. offers a welcoming work environment, and,

c. offers appropriate supports, especially early in the work experience, to help support success.

All of Bridges’ component parts are designed to meet one or more of these conditions and are focused on creating short term (3-4 month) competitive employment situations as a stepping stone to longer term vocational opportunities.

In a given program cycle (of which there are two per year, each lasting approximately six months) Bridges staff work concurrently, and on parallel tracks, with employers and youth participants. With employers they:

a. do outreach and job development to attract employer interest. This process runs the usual gamut of outreach and job development activities. Throughout, the message to employers is that this is a business driven program— from business (Marriott) and for business— a program in which meeting their needs will be paramount.

b. assess the need for and provide, as necessary, orientation or training at the potential job site to assure that staff are comfortable with issues of disability and employment.

c. analyze the essential functions and requirements of specific positions to fully understand the keys to job success for each.

With youth participants they:

a. recruit (typically through the schools) and screen youth for program inclusion. The key requirement for such inclusion (aside from disability) is a demonstrated commitment to being employed.

b. offer formal ‘youth/parent orientation’ sessions at Marriott hotels as a springboard into the program.

c. gain a thorough understanding of each participant’s skills, interests, experience and vocational goals.

The ‘employer’ and ‘youth’ tracks intersect around the process of appropriately matching individuals to jobs and supporting all parties to create a successful employment outcome. Supports provided are specific to the individual situation and may include travel training, job coaching, modification of on the job training processes and job shaping. Supports are always provided with an ultimate objective of creating independence for both employer and employee.

• 84% of youth enrolled in the program are placed in competitive employment.
• Placements in competitive employment have averaged $5.44/hour and 21 hours per week.
• 84% of youth placed in employment successfully complete the program and 89% of them receive offers of ongoing employment.
• Follow-up study completed 24 months after program completion finds that on average:
• 57% of the students remained employed with an 11% increase in wages and a 24% increase in hours worked per week;
• 19% of the students are unemployed but pursuing further education; 5% of students don’t want to work or are unable to find work.

Success Story

In 1996, Stanford James, who is autistic, enrolled in "Bridges...from school to work" and entered his last year at Chicago’s Kennedy High School without a clear idea of what his future held. What he did know was that he had a real fascination with and facility for maps. With the assistance of Bridges staff, Stanford was able to turn that interest and ability into opportunity.

In July of ‘96, Bridges hooked Stanford up with Aegis Communications for a three-month paid internship. Aegis is the contracted information services arm of the Regional Transportation Authority. With Stanford’s hard work, and the support of Bridges staff and the employer, his short-term internship turned into an offer of ongoing competitive employment as a travel information specialist.

Now almost three years later, Stanford excels at his job. Working a 6:00a.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift, he assists callers requesting CTA, Pace, and Metro routes and information. His ability to memorize maps and other details made him a natural. While all other travel information specialists are required to access requested information via computer, Stanford has internalized the information and can usually provide it on his own faster than the computer can produce it.

Stanford was recognized as Aegis’ Employee of the Year in 1997, and continues as a valued member of his work team today. Reached at work recently Stanford commented, "I love my job. It was a good match. I get to work with maps and busses and trains all day. And I get to dress up to. I just love to do that."

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