Focused on Access to Careers in Technology
and the Trades for Youth with Disabilities
WASHINGTON, April 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Electric America
Foundation (MEAF) announced today $2
million in new grants, and $615K in continuing projects. The funding
supports MEAF's new Access to Careers in Technology and the Trades
Inclusion Initiative, which is designed to empower youth with
disabilities to lead productive lives through increased
employment.
"Our Access to Careers in Technology and the Trades Inclusion
Initiative builds off the success we have seen this past year in
collaborating with our grant recipients and industry associations
in replicating model disability employment programs to create a
pipeline of skilled talent to access careers in high demand
fields," says Kevin R. Webb, MEAF's senior director.
Careers in Technology
In collaboration with the Consumer Technology Association
Foundation, MEAF is helping to promote accessibility and tech
careers at CES® and throughout the year, supporting
projects like:
- FIRST® Access: To introduce inclusive
programming for all students into FIRST competitions.
- Exceptional Minds Growth Initiative: To prepare artists
on the autism spectrum at Exceptional Minds for career pathways
towards entertainment and related industry jobs across digital
arts, animation, visual effects, gaming, and other fields.
- Aspiritech Remote Employment Academy: To provide
training and internships leading to careers in Accessibility, IT
and Quality Assurance testing for neurodiverse individuals at
Aspiritech.
- NSITE IT Program Expansion: To help blind and visually
impaired individuals access training at NSITE and go on to
careers in Information Technology.
Careers in the Trades
In support of the Association for Career and Technical Education
and its Inclusion, Access, Equity and Diversity Initiative, MEAF is
helping to build a pipeline of Career Tech Talent in fields
like:
- Advanced Manufacturing: Nuts, Bolts &
Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators and
Manufacturer's Association, offers Inclusive Summer Camps to
introduce students to careers in manufacturing. FedCap's Teaching
the Autism Community Trades (TACT) trains and places students
as heat pump installers, electricians, welders, carpenters, and
mechanics. The Uniquely Abled Project is establishing Uniquely
Abled Academies at trade schools and community colleges to train
and place autistic students in jobs as Computer Numerical Control
(CNC) and Robotics Operators. CAST is introducing students
with disabilities to careers in biomanufacturing.
- Electronics and Plastics Recycling and Beyond: Blue
Star Recyclers is sharing its successful disability employment
model by creating Counties of Inclusion, bringing together schools,
service providers, employers, and chambers of commerce in counties
to create a pipeline of capable talent.
- Hospitality, Healthcare, Microenterprise and More:
Butler Tech's Project LIFETM program and Celebrate EDU's
microenterprise training introduces students with intellectual and
development disabilities to career opportunities in a variety of
fields. Cincinnati Children's Project SEARCH internship program
provides total workplace immersion and job-skills acquisition
leading to competitive employment. MEAF's support will help more
than 36,000 Project SEARCH alumni advance in their careers.
Access to Opportunity
Access to careers in technology and the trades starts from a
strong foundation of quality experiential education and awareness.
MEAF helps build access and awareness by supporting:
- Documentary Films: The Emmy® winning "My
Disability Roadmap" and new feature-length film "The Ride Ahead" by
Dan and Samuel Habib, as well as the
film "All You Hear is Noise", helps promote inclusion and the
understanding of the capabilities of people with disabilities.
- Disability Mentoring: Partners for Youth with
Disabilities National Disability Mentoring Coalition and innovative
mentoring programs like Disability EmpowHer Network helps advance
disability mentoring in national MENTOR programs.
- Quality Education: The DePaul
School for Hearing and Speech is introducing a career
development curriculum, the World Institute on
Disability offers The Global Heumann Fellowship, and Kinney
Center for Autism Education and Support at St. Jospeh's
University shares knowledge with other colleges.
- Experiential Work: Vocational training at Spero
Vineyards and Growing Together Aquaponics, peer empowerment models
at Vanderbilt University and Children's
Hospital Los Angeles, and Bridges from School to Work help youth
with disabilities take the next steps.
- Inclusive Grantmaking: MEAF works with its peers in
philanthropy, such as PEAK Grantmaking and Workforce Matters to
encourage grant makers to include support for people with
disabilities in their grant programs.
"This is the first year MEAF's annual grant making has exceeded
$2 million. We are excited to see the
growth of disability employment to support a more inclusive
society," concludes Webb.
MEAF's $2.6 million in grant
commitments to 24 organizations will be distributed over the next
two years. MEAF will also match up to $320,000 in donations made by employees in 2024
to help build inclusive and sustainable communities in the United States.
The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, based in the
Washington, D.C. area, was
established in 1991 by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and the
Mitsubishi Electric U.S. group companies, which produce, sell, and
distribute a wide range of consumer, industrial, commercial, and
professional electronics products. The Foundation has contributed
more than $26 million to organizations that are empowering
young people with disabilities to lead more inclusive and
productive lives. To learn more, visit www.MEAF.org.
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SOURCE Mitsubishi Electric