News from the Noteworthy from Springbrook
Springbrook: ‘Untapped Employment Potential’
Whenever I pick up the paper, go shopping, or dine at a restaurant, I see so many employment vacancies that remain unfilled. Unemployment has remained steady at 3.7 percent for the general adult population but is at a high of 7.1 percent for persons with a disability. What many employers in our region need to realize is that we have an untapped vein of potential right here in Otsego County: Springbrook’s Employment Services. This program has long sought to create a more equitable community and a more robust economy through sustainable employment. In January, Governor Kathy Hochul pledged to make employment more equitable by making New York State an Employment First State for those with disabilities, building on 2023’s Executive Order 31. This is an important and progressive step for supporting people with disabilities, because they have had negligible employment opportunities for too long. I encourage local and regional businesses to become employment-first businesses by partnering with us to make the most of supported employment.
Executive Order 31 committed New York State to become a model employer for people with disabilities. This entails removing barriers to employment for the 73.8 percent of unemployed people with disabilities versus the 36.9 percent of their peers who are employed—and will ultimately “eliminate the gap between working people with disabilities and working people without disabilities, as well as endeavor to increase recruitment, hiring, retention, and the career advancement of people with disabilities in the State workforce” [Executive Order No. 31 (2023)]. Springbrook is at the forefront of bridging the gap for people with disabilities through employment services and has successfully prepared and placed people with disabilities in paid, competitive positions, meeting employers’ needs in retail, food service, custodial, and more in over 145 businesses and organizations that provide employment and pre-employment (assessments) in the following counties: Delaware, Broome, Otsego, Cortland, Tompkins, Chenango.
A new Employment Services office located at the Ford on Main will be the employment hub for Otsego County and bridge the employment gap between people with disabilities and employers. This new workspace will have on-site employment specialists offering services for people seeking employment and local employers seeking qualified employees. For employers like Sharon, who co-owns Gilbertsville Farmhouse with her husband, Aldo, Employment Services has been “essential for us and the person we’ve employed. It has provided new perspectives and created learning opportunities for both parties. The program has broadened our horizons at Gilbertsville Farmhouse, and we love working with the employee to ensure continued success in their employment here.”
I am thrilled to see employment needs for people with disabilities recognized by the state and Springbrook’s Employment Services expansion in its tenth year with a new hub for Otsego County. We are excited to realize opportunities for employees of Springbrook and the people that Springbrook supports, and we look forward to continued growth. If you’re an employer looking to hire qualified employees, contact Employment Services specialists Rhiannon Ham (Broome, Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego counties) at hamr@springbrookny.org or Michele Gravel (Cortland, Onondaga, Tompkins, and Tioga) at gravelm@springbrookny.org to get started!
Patricia Kennedy is chief executive officer of Springbrook.