Since 2012, New Jersey has been an Employment First state. Competitive employment is the preferred outcome for all individuals after completing their education – this includes individuals with disabilities. For PCDI students in the Adult Life Skills Program (ALSP), this remains the goal.
In 2022, approximately 21% of all individuals with disabilities in the United States were employed. At PCDI, 72% of adults in ALSP were employed at least 20 hours per week in that same year. After the unanticipated closing of two worksites in 2023, the percentage of PCDI adults who were employed dropped significantly, to 33%. Because the closing of worksites is not uncommon, we conduct job searches and build relationships with local businesses and organizations in an ongoing manner.
We are proud to announce that two individuals from PCDI have recently begun working at Rider University‘s dining hall, through Gourmet Dining LLC. They are packaging meals for Meals on Wheels of Mercer County. Rider University joins other companies who embrace inclusive employment programs for our adult learners, including L’Oréal, L’Oreal Divisie Luxe Producten, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Dior, and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.
To date, 63% of PCDI adults are gainfully employed.
For individuals who are not yet employed, PCDI has partnered with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) and Mercer Street Friends in a volunteer capacity. Adult learners package utensil bundles that accompany meals served at TASK’s 35 community meal sites across the greater Mercer County area.
At Mercer Street Friends, our team of volunteers packages bags of food for community members who are experiencing food insecurity. In just three hours, PCDI student volunteers packaged 3200 meals! These opportunities provide them with meaningful work to practice skills that can be used in an employment setting.