Three of our Cohort I graduates held a panel discussion to share internship best practices with Cohort II students. Nigel, Jonathan, and Marc held nothing back while speaking of their successes, challenges, and tips for a rewarding internship experience. It was great to see how much our graduates have come full circle and how excited they were to be able to 'pass the torch' to their peers in tech!
We reinstated our biannual job fair last month and it was a huge success. Our employer partners showed their commitment to our students and our students were presented with job opportunities from a variety of industry verticals. It was followed by a men's clothing giveaway with a few of our own staff members lending a hand to ensure our students left looking sharp and job-ready!
To highlight the success of our training programs, we kicked-off our #HowIGotHere social media campaign by posting 8 student testimonials across our social media platforms throughout the entire month of October! Our students invited us along their journey from being a participant at ICD to getting HIRED! If you haven't seen the testimonials on our social platforms, you can find them on our website here.
We kicked-off our second networking event for our Cohort II students preparing for internships and employment opportunities. We hosted our current employer partners while welcoming a few newcomers to the fold such as SMBC, Soho Dragon, Con Edison, Disability Solutions and Rangam.
Our fall 2019 graduation was hands down the best yet! It was a memorable time celebrating our student’s successes and awarding them with well-deserved diplomas and citations for being public advocates. Child Care graduate and student speaker, Mary Trivino, ‘earned her wings’ that night! She went from never giving a speech in front of a large audience to absolutely nailing it! It was also great to hear a very passionate and ‘down-to-business’ acceptance speech from Employer of the Year, Steve Cuascut, from Harlem United. Harlem United has been committed to our mission and supporting our students with employment opportunities for the last 15 years. Now that’s an employer partner dedicated to our success and worthy of acknowledgement!
We celebrated the support and dedication of our employer partners, Biscuits and Baths, Supreme Building Messengers, Metropolitan Hospital and NYC Human Resources Administration, for hiring our graduates and giving our students opportunities to gain valuable work experience by way of internships!
It was a special honor to have Xian Horn, advocate, speaker, blogger and Exemplar for the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge in the creation of Assistive Technology, as our guest presenter! Her message was invigorating and energizing! She was the perfect messenger to deliver words of hope and perseverance especially when plans for your life don’t go as planned.
Xian Horn speaking at ICD
Employer Partner HSBC recognized ICD for our support of the disability community with a generous $10K donation! We were extremely honored for the recognition and their commitment to our success!
Lifesaving Enterprises came and taught Pet CPR to the Pet Care Technician Class. Our students learned how to rescue their furry friends and practiced on dummies.
Susan Scheer joined ICD as CEO in March, 2017. Under Susan’s leadership, ICD will continue to offer its core direct workforce development services, including Evaluation, Work Readiness, Job Training in growing fields, and Job Placement services. In addition, as ICD enters its second century of service, advocacy and leadership, we are launching a new initiative to test innovative approaches in workforce development for people with disabilities through collaborations with the business community, thought leaders, government, foundations, and community organizations.
Susan brings over 20 years of management and policy experience in the non-profit and government sectors, including launching major programs such as Access-A-Ride , and repositioning established organizations such as CIDNY and Columbia University’s Office of Disability Services. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of Policy to NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, where her portfolio included education, healthcare, financial security, housing, and disability issues. She is the volunteer President of the Disabilities Network of New York City (DNNYC), and a recipient of numerous awards for her disability-related advocacy work, including the Alfred P. Sloan award. As a successful woman and leader with a disability, Susan serves as a powerful role model for the employment potential of the populations ICD serves.
Susan says, “One hundred years ago, ICD literally created the field of workforce development for disabled veterans, developing solutions to meet the evolving needs of workers with disabilities and employers. As it begins its second century, ICD’s Board and staff are renewing their commitment to being an innovative industry leader. With more and more employers recognizing that the “D” in Diversity includes people with disabilities, ICD is well-positioned to help businesses hire and advance the careers of well-qualified individuals with disabilities. I know first-hand the rewards that employment offers for people with disabilities, and I am proud to be a part of this endeavor.”
