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Mn/DOT named Large Employer of the Year by council on disability
ST. PAUL, Minn. -The Minnesota Department of Transportation has received the Large Employer of the Year Award from the Minnesota State Council On Disability for Mn/DOT’s commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining individuals living with disabilities.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from our state partners,” Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel said. “Our department works hard to make sure that individuals with disabilities have an opportunity to grow with Mn/DOT and become permanent employees that contribute to our strategic vision.”
Mn/DOT received the award for its Seeds-Pathways program, which is a collaborative effort with MSCOD, the Department of Employment & Economic Development‘s Rehabilitation Services, Minnesota Management & Budget and the Department of Human Services.
In December 2007, Mn/DOT and DEED signed an interagency partnership agreement to pioneer the Seeds-Pathways pilot program. With more than $100,000 in funding from DEED, 10 students with disabilities were successfully placed into offices across six Mn/DOT divisions. Three of the pilot-year students have now been hired into full-time positions. Since January 2008, Mn/DOT has hired 15 students and seven other individuals with disabilities.
The Pathways to Employment program was established to create a coordinated statewide strategy to facilitate the competitive employment of Minnesotans with disabilities. The program aims to increase the employment rate and earnings of people with disabilities and meet the needs of Minnesota employers through full use of the state’s work force.
Agencies that receive the Employer of the Year Award demonstrate outstanding achievements and make significant contributions that increase public awareness of Minnesotans with disabilities. Mn/DOT’s Seeds-Pathways program was nominated for the award by Steve Kuntz, a state of Minnesota recruiter for DEED.
For more information on the Pathways to Employment program, visit http://www.deed.state.mn.us/pte/.
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