Employers feted for hiring those in need
By Erik Siemers
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Patricia Powell is raising four children on her own in St. Clair Village. She's fresh off the welfare rolls and has felt the frustration of jumping from one part-time job to another.
"There was doubt in my mind that I will never get a full-time job," said Powell, 48.
But on Aug. 14, she began working full time in medical records at Mercy Hospital, one of four area employers honored Thursday by Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh for their efforts in finding jobs for people with special needs.
A panel of 10 judges chose the four companies from a field of 54 nominees for Goodwill's "Power of Work Awards," which were handed out at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
"The Power of Work Award acknowledges the employer who recognizes it makes good sense to employ people with special needs," said James Droney Jr., chairman of Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh.
The businesses recognized were:
GreenMarketplace.com, a Squirrel Hill-based e-commerce firm that provides environmental goods and services.
The company has had Goodwill Industries manage and operate its warehouse and distribution center for about a year. Workers with various disabilities perform jobs in the warehouse like putting goods on shelves and packing orders, said Michael Kaizer, operations manager for GreenMarketplace.com, which began operations in March 1999.
Since using Goodwill for warehousing capabilities, the "cost of warehousing has gone down and the care that's put into the packaging is unbelievable," Kaizer said. "This is part of the company mission to promote social and environmental well being in every aspect of our process."
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System was recognized for its "Success Program," a three-year-old effort to maximize employment opportunities for both job-seekers and employees.
The Success Program provides services to people like displaced workers, welfare-to-work candidates, and the homeless who are hired by Mercy Health System, said Carol Bonner, the program's employee development specialist.
The program teaches new hires the basics like coming to work on time and then later helps them learn management leadership skills, Bonner said.
Milwaukee-based temporary agency Manpower Inc. was honored for its "Predictable Performance System," which enables it to match applicants with jobs in clerical, technical and industrial services.
The system identifies a job candidate's strengths through an evaluation process and offers free training to enhance existing skills, said Clare Reardon, public relations director for Manpower.
Job candidates who believe they're only skilled in one area of work may find they can perform a variety of jobs after going through the system, Reardon said.
Health insurance concern Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield has held a statewide role with the Pennsylvania Business Leadership Network, which gives employers information about recruiting and training people with disabilities. The network also gives information on opportunities to provide training and work experience for job-seekers.
Without his experience at Highmark, Jim Homme, 41, a blind computer programmer from Crafton Heights, said he'd be living on disability checks and probably wouldn't have pets like his Seeing Eye dog, Yvette.
"The people with disabilities I know who go to work ... none of them ever says, `We want society to take care of me,'" said Homme, now a programmer for Bender Consulting Services who got his start at Highmark. "We take privilege to have the people at work count on us."
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