Sunrise at Sunset

One of the foundations of the Academy is our Transitional Employment program. We partner with local businesses that align with our values, to offer our members temporary employment. These positions, typically six to nine months in length, pay the commensurate wage and provide opportunities for our members to gain job experience in an environment that is a highly supported on-site by Academy staff.

Back in March, we had seven members on transitional jobs, and another member who was slated to begin her role at Sunset Cadillac. We all know what happened in March. As the world seemed to come to a halt, so did our Transitional Employment program.

It has been a long eight months, and we are now thrilled to announce that our first Transitional Employment position has been reinstated. Sunset Cadillac has taken every precaution to keep us safe by providing a larger office space with less foot traffic, plexiglass barriers to provide added protection, and a mandatory mask policy. Today, member Rebecca Wolfson headed out with staff member Joanne Campbell, to begin her training as a Scanning Administrator at Sunset Cadillac. Rebecca shared that she was a mix of excitement and nerves, but ultimately very happy to get back to paid employment.

We are indebted to employment partners such as Sunset Cadillac, who are helping to transform lives by providing these opportunities for growth and experience. When members such as Rebecca enter or reenter the workforce, they are taking steps towards independence and self-reliance. We believe that these employment partners are also benefitting greatly from employing members, like Rebecca, who are highly motivated and happy to be working.