October 14, 2009 - The Michigan Rehabilitation Council in collaboration with Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) in the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) hosted the first annual MRS Employer Champion Awards today at the State Capitol in Lansing to recognize employers who consistently support, train, hire, and retain customers served through Michigan's public vocational rehabilitation programs.
"We commend these employers for opening up their workplaces to our citizens with disabilities and seeing past restrictive attitudes," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "By doing so, they are recognizing the skills and abilities of these individuals and seeing them as assets to their companies." Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed October 2009 as Investing in Abilities Month to encourage employers to hire qualified people with disabilities, focusing on their abilities and to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of Michigan workers with disabilities.
Today's Investing in Abilities event celebrates the partnership between employers and Michigan Rehabilitation Services and the Michigan Commission for the Blind. Together, MRS and MCB assist more than 7,800 individuals with disabilities to achieve competitive employment and self-sufficiency annually.
MRS offices around the state nominated employer candidates from two categories: small and large businesses -- those with less than or more than 100 employees. The consistent theme from those nominated was demonstration of the "value" of hiring and retaining vocational rehabilitation customers. The Michigan Rehabilitation Council reports that every dollar spent on public rehabilitation services returns $12.66 back to the Michigan economy.
The 2009 MRS Employer Champion Award recipients are:
Patrick Fritz, Employment Manager, Amway Hotel Collection, Grand Rapids
Julie Clare, Co-Owner, Café Clare, Southfield
Ken and Jeff Swadling, Owners, Ken's Market, Indian River
Debbie Hutchison, Employee Relations Manager, L & L Products, Inc., Bruce Township
Jim Grove, Store Director, Meijer, Inc., Saginaw
Greta Wu, Client Services Director, Peckham, Inc., Lansing
Matt Reinhardt, Manager, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Gaylord
Janet Yager, Director of Human Resources, Superior Extrusion, Inc., Gwinn
Maj. Gen. Scott West, U.S. Army, TACOM-LCMC (Life Cycle Management Command), Warren
Chris Farida, Store Manager, Value Fresh Marketplace, Warren
Jerry Barnett, Store Manager, Walmart, Plainwell
The MRS awards were presented to the employers by the MRS counselors who nominated them. Students in the Cabinetmaking/Millwork program at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute, a vocational and technical training school operated by Michigan Rehabilitation Services and located in Southwest Michigan, engraved the special awards.
The Michigan Commission for the Blind also recognizes employers who excel in providing employment opportunities for qualified MCB clients. Attending today's event were two employers who received MCB's Employer Honor Roll Award in December 2008:
Brook Buckley and Cara Brockway, Services Coordinators, Lakestate Industries, Escanaba
Tina Kortz, Practice Administrator; Kristin Gosko, Administrator, Grand River Gastroenterology, Grand Rapids
The MCB award recipients were introduced by the MCB staff who nominated them.
"People with disabilities have proven to be an untapped resource for employers and are among the most productive employees who consistently rate above average in reliability, performance, and safety," said Pruss. "It's just good business to put these very able workers to work to gain independence and contribute to Michigan's economy."
The Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) is investing in Michigan's future by preparing for the new energy economy, helping to create the jobs of today and tomorrow, ensuring that our children and adults have the skills these jobs demand, making Michigan a better place to do business, and training and placing those who need jobs now.
Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
|
Printer Friendly
Text Version
Twitter
Facebook
Yahoo
Google
Digg
reddit
Newsvine
StumbleUpon
Bookmark
Email Page
