Union County, NJ – In an effort to encourage local employers to hire people with disabilities, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, AGL Resources/Elizabethtown Gas, and the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services are co-sponsoring a free seminar for employers: Tapping into the Talent of Persons with Disabilities.
The seminar will be conducted by Cornell University’s Disability Business Technical Assistance Center – Northeast and will be held on Friday, October 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Liberty Hall Corporate Center, Room A-B, 1085 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ.
Attendance must be confirmed in advance by contacting Gina Tuesta, Union County Workforce Investment Board, (908) 558-2292, or gtuesta@ucnj.org A continental breakfast and refreshments will be served. Educational credits, one credit per hour, are available for human resources professionals.
“October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and this year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” noted Freeholder Chairman Daniel Sullivan. “Helping Union County residents from all walks of life to find employment is more important than ever, and we hope that this seminar provides employers with new insights into the full potential of employees with disabilities.”
The seminar will include a presentation on the results of the 2010 Survey on Employment of People with Disabilities. This national survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, was jointly commissioned by the National Organization on Disability and The Kessler Foundation. The Kessler Foundation also provided funding for the survey.
One finding of the survey was that employers seeking to hire persons with disabilities get referrals from service provider agencies, but often do not work more closely with the agencies to identify qualified applicants.
“One of the goals of the seminar is to help employers partner with service agencies here in Union County, to help them identify qualified applicants who match their needs,” said Freeholder Sullivan.
AGL Resources/Elizabethtown Gas is hosting the event, which was organized by the Union County Department of Human Services, Workforce Investment Board, One Stop Career Centers and Office for the Disabled, in collaboration with the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
For more information about resources for people with disabilities in Union County, contact the Union County Office for the Disabled, 908-527-4807.
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