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Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision ~ Stevie Wonder

Community Business Partners

My Path partners with community businesses to provide employment opportunities and work experiences for our clients. Our goals are twofold. First, we want to offer our clients meaningful and productive work experiences that will eventually lead to their successful careers and independence. And, of equal importance, we strive to provide community businesses with opportunities to access a relatively untapped talent pool that can fill skilled roles within the organization or assist with more routine tasks that are bogging down more experienced team members. In either case, our placements assist with important duties that can contribute to your company’s overall fiscal and productivity goals while also providing individuals with disabilities opportunities for successful careers.

Work Experience Options

My Path will work with your company to arrange for a work experience that benefits your organization as well as our client. We can arrange a variety of different work experiences based on your needs. Whether you are searching for full or part-time skilled workers or want to “try out” a job seeker prior to offering steady employment, we can help. Different work experiences include Internships, Job Tryouts, Job Shadowing, and Volunteering opportunities for those seeking to gain skills and experience in preparation for steady employment. Our clients tend to be hard-working, reliable, and loyal individuals who are excited for the opportunity to provide meaningful work.

Internships

Internships are professional learning experiences that offer individuals practical and meaningful work experiences related to their career interests or field of study. Internships may be paid or unpaid opportunities (depending on your company’s legal status and/or how the internship is set up) that provide individuals the opportunity to work on relevant projects, learn about their field of interest, and develop both hard and soft skills. While internships vary in duration, many of them last between 8 to 10 weeks and are between 10 to 20 hours per week during the academic year and 20 to 40 hours per week during summer months or after school completion.

Job Tryouts

A job tryout is a brief period of time during which a candidate completes an assignment, or acts in a role, before the company offers a permanent position. Job Tryouts are opportunities for businesses to see a glimpse of how a candidate will perform under actual working conditions and whether or not they meet an open position’s requirements. If designed well, a company will have an opportunity to see the candidate’s strengths and how the individual is able to benefit the company. For candidates, job tryouts offer them an opportunity to evaluate the position to determine whether or not it is a good fit for them before accepting permanent employment. Individuals participating in job tryout experiences are typically paid for the time they spend working with your company; however, payment often is provided by MY PATH in conjunction with Minnesota’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS).

Job Shadowing

Job shadowing is an educational opportunity for MY PATH’s clients to follow and closely observe your experienced employee performing his/her role in an industry of interest. Job shadowing experiences typically last for a short period of time, anywhere from a half a day to a couple of weeks. This is an incredible opportunity for candidates because it gives them insight into a specific career and the realistic expectations of the required skills and duties for a particular role. Job shadowing also offers your company the opportunity to expand your talent pipeline by interacting with someone potentially interested not only in your industry, but also in your specific company.

More Facts And Stats

Now that you know more about MY PATH's Community Business Employer Partnerships and various work experience opportunities, please read our Frequently Asked Questions for Business Employers and our Myth Busters pages. You may just be surprised to learn about the many cultural and bottom-line benefits companies have realized because they embraced individuals with disabilities in their workforce.

Are you ready to embrace workers with disabilities in your workplace? If so, contact us to learn more about becoming a Community Business Partner so we may refer our clients to your hiring managers for open positions and work experiences. And, if you would like some guidance on tailoring your procedures to those with disabilities, especially for individuals with neurodiverse conditions, we offer consulting services for companies.