Interested in developing PFW within your Rotary Club? Following are steps to follow to create Partners for Work in Your Rotary Club: • Talk to other members about it to see if there is some interest. • Share the idea with your Club President, President-Elect and Vocational Chair.
• Make a presentation to your Board.
• Work with your Club President to plan how it is presented to the club.
• Partner with a Community Supported Employment Provider.
• Have regular meetings to educate the club about how members can help to create opportunities.
• Create a steering committee of a few members who meet regularly to develop club-level activities.
Have regular activities at your club meetings using suggestions from the Sample Club Activities sheet. |
Employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities
Partners for Work (PFW) is a Rotary District 5030 project that creates employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities by utilizing Rotarian business leadership as a vital link between job candidates and paid work. PFW, developed by the Auburn Rotary Club in 2003, has expanded throughout Western Washington as a viable program that assists employers in gaining access to this talented, untapped workforce. The target population, people who are over 18 years of age, have developmental disabilities, and want to work. These individuals have learned valuable skills to offer the workplace, yet their unemployment rate (70%) is very high and many cannot meet the established job requirements set by human resource departments within businesses. Rotarians are often the top people in their companies and play a key networking and leadership role in helping open the door towards paid work for these individuals.
This project focuses on creating new opportunities for people who have traditionally been left out of the job market by having Rotarians become more aware of individual skills and abilities that exist within their own communities. This can be done simply through a series of club-level activities that don’t require fundraising or considerable amounts of volunteer service time by club membership.
Contact PFW district project chair Jon Hankins for further information and to receive a PFW toolkit to assist your club in seeding this wonderful project within your club!
partners@rotary5030.org
(206)349-5297 direct (cell)
~ PFW - Employer Recognitions ~
2008/2009
Making Dreams Real...
Rotary Club of Seattle International District recognized three employers within their community on April 23rd for employing adults with developmental disabilities.
Tay Yoshitani (Chief Executive Officer, Port of Seattle), Marjorie Hillson
(Senior Mgr CNOS / Diversity Programs, Port of Seattle), and David
Clees (SIR).
Martha Tanner (HR Director, Ogden Murphy Wallace),
Chris McCallum (Facilities Coordinator, OMW),
Barbara Schafer (Executive Director, OMW), and
Stephanie Ko (PFW chair & SIR club).
Rob Axtman and Sean Clisham (Institute for Systems Biology)
and David Clees (SIR Club).
Rotary Club of the University District recognized a local employer in June for employing adults with developmental disabilities.
Paul Meyer and Russ Amick with University District Rotary
recognize Charles Schwab, GM of University Village Safeway.
4 Jobs Landed through PFW
in 2008/2009!
Josh Bianchi started working for All Star Fitness (West Seattle)
in March 2009. Josh developed new skills, polished his dependable
strengths, and did some networking of his own through a paid
internship in 2008/2009 with the Rotary Club of West Seattle
as a 'greeter assistant' to land this job. Way to go, Josh!
Courtney Chase was hired in April 2009 by Bowen Scarff Ford of Kent.
The Rotary Club of Kent's Past President & owner of the Ford dealer,
Mark Scarff, met Courtney at his weekly club meeting when they
hosted a Mock Interview PFW program. She loves having a job
before graduating in June '09 from Kent Meridian High School!
In Oct. 2008, Auburn-based QToner.com hired
Josh Forza. The owner, Curt Heikel, learned
about this unique and untapped workforce
that PFW provides from his cousin's business
partner, Bob Klontz, who just so happens to be
an Auburn Rotarian (PFW home club).
WHY host a Mock Interview PFW program at your Rotary club?
A) That's how clubs like West Seattle & Kent initially met people like Josh Bianchi and Courtney Chase!
B) Exposes your membership to what people from your community Can Do given the right opportunity
C) Serves as a "stepping stone" to potentially adopt PFW as a Vocational Project for your club
D) Time limited (1 hour of service) and can provide a FUN "hands on" program to your membership!
E) Helps naturally identify a future club member that can serve as the 'PFW' committee chair
Rotary Club of Kent incorporates Mock Interviews as their club program on January 27th 2009 to "sample PFW".
Rueben Bradford practices his interview skills as Kent Rotarians ask him
questions about his current work experience, learn about his marketable skills,
dependable strengths, and "where" he might want to work in June 2009 when he graduates.
Spencer Naylor practices a firm, professional hand shake while also making great eye
contact with a Kent Rotarian, who acts as the interviewer/employer! Spencer's job coach
and Kent Meridian Transition Specialist, Carolyn Abbott, observes and supports the interview as needed.
Kent Rotarians, job candidates (2009 Kent Meridian graduates), Trillium Employment
Services staff, and a Kent School District employee gather for a group photo. Go team!
From left to right, starting at top: Julie LeFebvre, Spencer Naylor, Ryan Meyer,
Reuben Bradford, Janice Nelson, Jon Hankins, Courtney Chase, Josh Gerstman, Katie Bergman,
and Jeremy Raczka.
(Frequently Asked Questions asked by Employers)
As Rotarians, we are leaders within our businesses. While we typically have influence on hiring practices within our own business, it's very common to have concerns or questions when it comes to making a unique or innovative business decision with no prior road map! Click on the link below to access a list of Frequently Asked Questions from employers who have made the decision to hire individuals with developmental disabilities.
and David Clees (Seattle International Rotarian).
