NDEAM 2024

Roseville, Calif.  –  PRIDE Industries, the nation’s leading employer of people with disabilities, is once again proud to participate in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual campaign that takes place in October. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, NDEAM both educates the country about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Access to Good Jobs for All.”

“NDEAM’s theme this year, ‘Access to Good Jobs for All,’ is a vital one,” said Jeff Dern, President and CEO of PRIDE Industries. “Workers with disabilities are often left out of conversations about workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. At PRIDE Industries, we’re working to change that. Everything we do is about normalizing workplace inclusion to help people with disabilities lead independent lives.”

More than 10 percent of working-age Americans have a disability. Historically, the workforce participation rate for working-age adults with disabilities has been around 30 percent, while the rate for persons without a disability in the same age group is about 75 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Since 1966, PRIDE Industries has worked to bridge this gap by hiring people with disabilities to provide award-winning facilities management, supply chain management, manufacturing, packaging and fulfillment services, and employment services. Through its various employment programs, PRIDE Industries is helping to break down barriers and create opportunities that enable people with disabilities to succeed in the workforce.

PRIDE Industries’ one-of-a-kind, bilingual (English/Spanish) I AM ABLE Employment Helpline is one of these programs. This unique helpline, which was launched in 2021, has connected over 7,000 people with employment programs and government and community resources, and placed over 200 people into employment with estimated gross wages of $5 million.

PRIDE Industries’ Youth Employment Services (YES!) program is another one of the social enterprise’s many innovative services. The program supports youth aged 16-24 who have disabilities. It also provides services to young people who have spent time in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or criminal legal systems, as well as those who are unhoused, live in concentrated poverty, or face other barriers to employment in Sacramento and Placer counties. This enables them to gain the skills they need to succeed in their chosen careers and to live independently. Thanks to the YES! Program, since July 2022:

• 113 youth have received comprehensive support consisting of intensive case management, work readiness, education, and on-the-job training to help them build skills and secure employment.
• 9 youth have participated in paid internships or subsidized direct employment.
• 31 youth have benefitted from unsubsidized direct job placements.
• 35 youth have received retention support in a career path of their choosing.

Last year, PRIDE Industries hosted its inaugural I AM ABLE Disability Job Fair. Created for people with disabilities by people with disabilities, this fully accessible event featured over two dozen employers and was attended by over 600 jobseekers. This year’s effort, to be held on October 9, will feature almost 40 businesses seeking to hire employees. In addition, 20 nonprofit and government agencies that support the disability community will be on hand to offer important employment resources.

“Across the country, we support over 3,500 people with disabilities in their employment journeys,” said Dern. “We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to work and contribute to their fullest potential. Every day, PRIDE Industries proves the value of an inclusive workforce through our operational success across multiple industries. We show company leaders that if we can do it, so can they.”