IWSI America’s Ready, Willing and ABLE Program helps organizations create their talent pipeline
By Deborah Williamson.
“I went from where they take you out for four hours into the community, which was fun for a season, but honestly, I was longing for something more.”
Fast forward to now and Joyce, who lives with cerebral palsy which limits her physical mobility, is an apprentice medical biller and coder for Grace Family Medical Clinic.
“I came into this apprenticeship with no medical knowledge or background unlike most of my classmates. Several times I was intimidated by that, but my self-confidence has skyrocketed and I’m now able to lead a study group with my friends and I’ve been getting straight As.
“I have a sense of purpose being in a career helping people. It’s so rewarding.”
Joyce recently returned to UCLA to take part in a panel discussion with other apprentices as part of the Bridging the Skills Gap 2023 conference. The four panel members were apprentices or apprentice graduates who have transformed their work lives and confidence. That’s thanks to support from the Californian Department of Rehabilitation and IWSI America for their joint project Ready, Willing and ABLE. It helps people with a disability find long-term, meaningful work, whether it’s their first full-time job or they’re retraining in a new career.
Under the program, apprentices with a disability secure hands-on training in a new career in a real workplace. The program is a two-year pilot in Orange County, supporting 100 Californians to secure apprenticeships in the allied healthcare sector. The program’s strengths are its partnerships with local healthcare, disability support service providers, government, industry, and civic groups.
Though not part of RWA but working with IWSI America, another successful participant who was also on the recent panel discussion was Melvin. He’s made a career leap from dog groomer to mechanical technician. Melvin was about a year-and-a-half into a beginner machining course at El Camino College, when Northrop Grumman, a global aerospace, defense, and security company, offered him an apprenticeship.
“I recently graduated from the program and have been with the company for five years. It’s been a wonderful journey in the machining industry.”
Melvin flourished thanks to guidance from about six mentors throughout his training to “help me become successful”. That was despite him wanting to give up two years into his apprenticeship.
“I struggled a lot but because of the people alongside me, my mentors and coaches, they saw potential in me and I was able to produce some parts that contributed to the James Webb Space Telescope. Now, when I look up into the sky, I know my parts are up there because I didn’t quit.”
Back on Earth, those skills are useful in his community.
“As a machinist, we can apply our skills in many different aspects of our life to help ourselves, neighbors, and friends. My dad had a problem with his car, so who does he call? Me, a machinist, and I was able to help him.”
Meanwhile, another panelist, Alex, has recently started his engineering apprenticeship at the National Tooling and Machining Association, a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program.
“I attended a career seminar about three months ago and then soon after started with the Department of Rehabilitation, which paid for my training and course at the NTMA [a specialist college which trains and upskills machinists].”
He says the highlight of his apprenticeship is “working with classmates who share common interests as me learning a trade – machining - that has many applications”.
“I would recommend this apprenticeship to anyone interested in metal work and operating a machine that can produce and replicate commodities such as instruments and tools that benefit the majority of people in modern-day society.”
What was most surprising for Alex was “how quickly I was able to learn the skills”. He had assumed operating a machine would be “far too difficult, time-consuming and not worth the investment”.
“After two months of training, I’m feeling more confident that I can achieve this goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Derrick, who uses a wheelchair, started as a mature-age apprentice as a dispensing optician at Luxottica, Inc.
“I never imagined that I could do this work. It’s been amazing. At the start, I struggled, too, but there’s a net around me to help me grow into the role. It’s a powerful program which changes lives,” he said.
Each panelist demonstrated that an apprenticeship offers them the kind of stretch goal they can achieve. And for their employers and host employers, the program is a great way to deal with their skills shortages and start building a talent pipeline.
Here are three tips for employers considering hiring people with a disability as an apprentice:
You’re not reinventing the wheel – there are plenty of resources, programs, funding, guidance, and support, such as the Ready, Willing and ABLE program
A Registered Apprenticeship Program can be adapted to suit employers and their apprentices’ needs, and
Already more than 1,000 occupations are apprenticeable and that means 75% of the paperwork covering competencies is already done for you.
To find out more about setting up a registered apprenticeship program in your business or organization, contact Deborah Williamson at dwilliamson@iwsiamerica.org.
About RWA
Ready, Willing, and ABLE is a partnership between the California Department of Rehabilitation and the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation America which seeks to aide Californians with disabilities to access exciting full-time career opportunities.
Panel discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlSwtzBvY5U
Ready, Willing and ABLE program
