As printed in the Q1 2024 ACCS Alabama Minute Newsletter.
As the state and nation confront the scarcity of today’s workforce, Alabama’s community and technical colleges are taking charge. Among them, Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBW) stands out for helping individuals with learning disabilities close the gap with the Alabama RISE Program.
“Throughout our state, most individuals with disabilities are not in the labor force,” said LBW President Brock Kelley. “With the right resources, they are proven to be good employees with the ability to produce quality work.”
The Alabama RISE Program tailors its curriculum to fit the needs of each student to support and advocate for themselves. One avenue is mentorship.
“I learned how to do down payments on a car, how to pay for a mortgage on a house, and how much money to spend, save, and set aside,” said RISE student Conner Kelley.
Conner primarily took high school classes online, but his mother said that he stepped out of his comfort zone and started attending classes in-person thanks to LBW.
“For my son to do the RISE program was such a blessing,” said Jan Kelley. “Everyone was so friendly, and it gave me peace of mind that he could be successful.”
The RISE Program has not only afforded the opportunity for students with disabilities to excel. The program also enlightens employers on the benefits of hiring these talented individuals.
“We gained an employee who has now worked full-time for just over two years,” said Chace Sauls, an accounting and office manager of Andalusia Distributing Company. “It has been personally and professionally rewarding to be a part of RISE because we’ve been able to witness the growth in confidence as the students realize their potential for the workforce.”
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