Companies to up employment for workers with disabilities | News

NGI announced the “first-of-its-kind” partnership in a press release Monday. Under the new agreement, NYSID member agencies will staff for janitorial and mail fulfillment services for NGI’s headquarters in Schenectady and Buffalo. Janitorial services will be carried out on-site, while mail fulfillment services will occur at the Center for Disability Services mail fulfillment integrated business in Albany. The press release said these contracts will create about 20 jobs at the start, and employees with disabilities will work in integrated settings and earn competitive wages.

Mike Miller, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Northeast Shared Services (NSS) — NGI’s shared services group, said NGI’s new partnership with NYSID aligns with the company’s mission.

“Our companies have a long-standing commitment to the sustenance of the communities we call home, both literally and figuratively,” Miller said in a statement. “Central to that is opening doors for everyone to have access to career pathways that increase their independence and foster personal and professional growth. We couldn’t be prouder to partner with NYSID and take even bolder action to help those who bring such unique and diverse skill sets and perspectives.”

Yvone Clark Rogers, NSS director of diversity, equity, inclusion and talent, said the partnership is NGI’s way of operationalizing its corporate values.

“This partnership is a celebratory mile marker along the journey that our companies committed to many years ago — a journey to equitable and accessible employment in our communities,” Rogers said in a statement. “To be a neighbor among the families that are spread across the vast regions in which we operate, means we have a vested interest in the fulfilled lives of many, and in being an environment where they are represented and valued.”

Maureen O’Brien, president and CEO of NYSID, expressed excitement about partnering with NGI.

“We are thrilled to partner with an organization that prioritizes employing individuals with disabilities. While the effort is ‘socially good,’ it also helps to significantly boost our economy by offering competitive wages and meaningful work,” O’Brien said in a statement. “The unemployment rate for those with disabilities is 67 percent, but NYSID and NGI are working hard to improve that number to create strong New York State communities.”

According to the press release, NGI offers employment and training opportunities geared toward the recruitment, retention and advancement of workers with disabilities at almost 300 retail locations across the Northeast. Price Chopper/Market 32’s Hiring Advantage Program provides on-site, hands-on exposure to various positions within the company, and Tops has formed several partnerships with local schools and support providers to develop employment pipelines for those with disabilities, according to the release. Both companies also closely collaborate with state agencies and community-based organizations that prioritize employment opportunities for the disabled, the statement said.

“We strive to be a model for good corporate citizenship, not just in the retail grocery industry, but beyond,” Miller said in the release. “Over the years we have witnessed the incredible impact our career development programs have made in the lives of those with disabilities and, in turn, the countless ways their talent and dedication have positively altered the trajectory of our companies. We couldn’t think of a better way to pay their contributions forward than by working alongside NYSID to create even more opportunities for growth and advancement.”

NGI and NYSID are already looking to expand upon their partnership with a new program, under which a NYSID member agency operating a custom apparel business would become the exclusive provider of an employee-facing e-commerce storefront for all NGI-branded apparel, according to the release. Individuals on the autism spectrum would create branded merchandise and fulfill orders in an integrated work setting at competitive wages.

State lawmakers also lauded the partnership.

“Creating opportunities for people with disabilities is important for a fair and inclusive society,” said Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, in a statement. “As the father of a son with autism, this goal is very personal to me. Studies show that having a job helps people with disabilities become more independent. The partnership between NGI and NYSID is a great example of how we can make the workforce more inclusive, and I am committed to expanding these opportunities to make a difference.”

“All working-age New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to pursue a career or vocation of their choosing and it falls on each of us to do our part to open doors and reduce barriers to employment for those with disabilities,” said Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, in a statement. “It’s one of many reasons why I’m proud the State has made NYSID one of its preferred source providers of products and services. However, we can’t do it alone and I applaud NGI, one of New York’s largest employers, for taking this bold step and incorporating these principles in the private sector. These jobs will help foster greater independence and self-reliance for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, which is key to their health and wellness.”

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