Special Olympics USA Games Hosts the “Journey of Employment” Job Fair
By Steve Bruce
JULY 6, 2018
Special Olympics, in conjunction with SourceAmerica, a national leader in disability employment, is hosting the Journey of Employment job fair as a coaching and networking resource for athletes at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle. The two-day event takes place Thursday and Friday, July 5-6, in the Lyceum room at the University of Washington’s Husky Union Building (HUB).
The job fair is a new element for a USA Games and encourages individuals with intellectual disabilities who want to work to get information and coaching for resume preparation and job interview training.
David Egan, a Virginia Special Olympics Global Messenger employed by SourceAmerica said, “We can all work unified. We are all citizens that matter.”
Despite the current low rate of unemployment for the country, roughly 80 percent of people with disabilities are currently left out of the work force. The collaboration with SourceAmerica capitalizes on the benefits of participation in sports as individuals with intellectual disabilities gain valuable personal and professional skills through sports. That prepares them with all the skills to be better employees.
At the job fair, athletes will embark on a trip through a series of stations to assess, polish, and present their skills to prospective employers that recognize the potential of Special Olympics athletes on the job. In addition, candidates will hear from fellow athletes who’ve taken their winning skills from the field to the workforce. SourceAmerica will also host disability awareness training for companies to support their inclusive corporate culture.
To encourage athletes to put those kinds of job skills to use in the workplace, the Journey of Employment job fair is offering career coaching, interview tips and introductions to participating companies including Amazon, Bank of America, Boeing, Brooks Running Company, City of Seattle, Kaiser Permanente, King County, Microsoft, Starbucks, University of Washington and Walmart.
The job fair will also be part of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago. On July 21, “A Global Day of Inclusion,” the SourceAmerica Resource Fair will focus on providing services to people with disabilities and their families with employment, legal, education, insurance and more.
This collaboration with SourceAmerica complements Special Olympics’ evidence-based outcomes of using the skills and self-confidence gained through sport to achieve success beyond the playing fields and to encourage inclusion and cooperation in areas such as education, health care, the arts and unified sports.
