Since 1966, PRIDE Industries has been recruiting, training, placing and supporting people with disabilities, vastly improving their lives while also providing employers with a reliable talent pipeline that brings a high level of positivity, dedication, loyalty, retention and low absenteeism to the frontline workforce.
“One in four people in the U.S. have a disability and their employment rate is only about 35 percent,” says Leah Burdick, chief growth officer of PRIDE Industries. “For more than half a century, PRIDE Industries has been changing minds and behaviors around hiring people with disabilities and getting employers to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.”
Renowned local grocery chain Raley’s has long partnered with PRIDE Industries, hiring stockers, cashiers, courtesy clerks and more. Despite a developmental disability, Angela “Angie” Rao has brought excellence to her role as courtesy clerk for 32 years.
“She’s one of the top five courtesy clerks I’ve ever had,” says Danielle Bergmann, store team leader. “She’s on time, eager to work, has a smile for everyone and customers love her. Many of them ask where she is on her days off — a testament to the impact Angie makes on our store each and every day.”
Another hiring partner, Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, struggled with the quality and cost of its laundry services but has improved both through more than two dozen PRIDE Industries hires, who all work as a team to make sure hotel guests have clean sheets and towels. Thunder Valley considers it a win-win-win, as they benefit alongside their guests and the PRIDE Industries employees enjoy the dignity and independence that come with competitive employment.
“For more than half a century, we’ve been changing minds and behaviors around hiring people with disabilities and getting employers to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.” — Leah Burdick Chief Growth Officer, PRIDE Industries
Always working to bring employers and employees together, PRIDE Industries is hosting a first-of-its kind in-person job fair for people with disabilities in the region, the I Am Able Disability Job Fair, at McClellan Park on Oct. 18, 2023, to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
“We welcome the community to this event for the good of all people with disabilities,” Burdick says.
To learn more about participating in the job fair, visit: https://www.prideindustries.com/i-am-able-disability-job-fair-employer
