Letter to the Editor: Good investment
BY Nancy Webster, Tulsa
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9/29/12 at 3:20 AM
Our community needs qualified workers to make our economy stronger. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Goodwill encourages the public and private sectors to strengthen their workforce by hiring qualified people with disabilities.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, people with disabilities have a more than 13.6 percent unemployment rate, more than 60 percent higher than the unemployment rate for people without disabilities. It doesn't have to be this way.
Goodwill Industries of Tulsa currently employees 250 people with disabilities, and we know first hand the benefits of a diverse workforce, which includes people with disabilities. In 2011, Goodwill nationally grew its social enterprise and provided career and community services to more than 4.2 million people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
Goodwill Industries of Tulsa trains people with disabilities and others who have trouble finding jobs with a wide variety of programs that prepare them for the world of work.
Goodwill knows that businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the Tulsa area need to hire the right workers to help our economy grow. Recruit and hire people with disabilities. It might be the best investment you make for your company and our community.
Editor's note: Webster is director of community relations for Goodwill Industries of Tulsa.
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