Even before KRA announced that disability employment was the focus of its 2015 Community Care Campaign, the KRA Knowledge2Career (K2C) Academy had already developed two successful partnerships dedicated to expanding its workforce services to include youth with disabilities.
KRA Program Manager, Shawna Wright, also K2C Project Director, reports, “We were excited to learn that our corporate 2015 Campaign was focused on raising awareness around the issue of employment for individuals with disabilities.
K2C and the Long Beach Unified School District’s Youth Employment Network have been collaborating, whereby we serve as the resource for their youth with disabilities to gain the support and training needed to transition into the workforce.
Also, K2C has partnered with Mental Health America of Los Angeles’ Transitional Age Youth Academy, which serves young people with mental-health challenges. To assist transitioning youth in achieving personal and employment goals, K2C has become the “bridge’ from the Academy to active workforce participation.
We are very pleased with our progress so far. We’ve received five referrals, with three completely enrolled, and the other two being processed. These first two targeted partnerships are just the beginning of a continuing K2C commitment to youth-disability employment.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
