Empowering DEI Organizations
Facilitator / Catalyst
I support organizations that help people with disabilities. This is a priority for me because these organizations can reach far more people than I can on my own. Empowering them supports the greater good.
I work with corporate, not-for-profit, and charitable organizations to help them achieve their goals of supporting individuals with disabilities. I do this by identifying organizational strengths and weaknesses, finding opportunities for improvement, creating effective models and programs, and reviewing internal documents. I also recommend language and policy adjustments where needed.
Group GTI Project
I worked with a partner from Group GTI, acting as a disability adviser on a pilot project he was leading on behalf of JP Morgan. JP Morgan and six leading investment banks had approached me because they wanted to attract more disabled students and graduates to consider careers with them.
I realised that Group GTI was the perfect partner for this work. I supported Group GTI in creating a bespoke internship programme, Capital Chances for Disabled People in Investment Banking, so that it met the needs of the banks’ target audience.
Today, JP Morgan and many other investment banks continue to run versions of this internship programme in-house for disabled graduates.
Workable North West Regional Centre Manager
Workable Centre Network(WCN)-Europe
I established a Northwest Regional Centre based in Manchester, UK, and led a transnational project from this centre titled Workable Centre Network (WCN)–Europe on behalf of the charity. I worked with the charity’s senior management team, along with an external consultant, to expand Worktable’s work into other European countries. Within five years, this resulted in a comprehensive network of partner countries and support centres for disabled university students and graduates throughout Europe.
Workable was a national charity that supported disabled university students and graduates by providing information about employment and training, job-search skills training, and career counselling. It also developed programmes of work experience and permanent placement schemes at local, national, and international levels.
While working at Workable, I regularly organised and ran “Employment Action Days” at Old Trafford Football Club for disabled students and graduates, as well as employers from across the Northwest of England. Participating students received guidance from a leading Capital executive placement consultant on how to write strong CVs and succeed in interviews. They also had the opportunity to meet potential employers and recruitment staff.
“The feedback I had received from the students I spoke to was that those who had attended both days (Employment Action Days) found it very worthwhile and stimulating event, whilst those who only made it on Thursday were upset, they hadn’t been able to attend the previous day. They found the practical nature of the presentations particularly accessible and appreciated the opportunity to meet potential employers.”
3S Career Solutions Limited
Steve Gardner
Senior Consultant
Clients:
• Access Summit
• Breakthrough UK
• Group GTI
• Remtek Systems Ltd
• Remtek Workplace
• Scope
• SKILL (National Bureau for Students with Disabilities)
• Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS) - Inclusion Network
• Workable and Workable Centre Network - Europe