Employment Alliance

The Employment Alliance will work with your organization to develop individualized training plans, support diversity initiatives within your organization and enhance your community connection and customer base.

Learn more about what the Employment Alliance has to offer by clicking on a topic area below:

Guidance for Job Seekers  |  Services for Youth  |  Key Business Partner Benefits |  Interest Form

Guidance for Job Seekers

Employment specialists work with job seekers to determine the type of work that is personally meaningful to them and support them in taking pride in their strengths and talents, overcoming potential challenges related to employment and setting strategies to achieve career goals. Additionally, they assist with:

• Assessing skills
• Employment-related skill building
• Searching for jobs, applying and preparing for interviews
• Finding a reliable means to get to work, which may include walking, riding a bicycle or using public transportation
• Developing an individualized plan to strengthen a candidate’s success on the job and feel part of the workplace culture
• Networking with other people who are working or seeking employment

If you are interested in finding out more about our employment services, contact the director of the Employment Alliance, Marianne Durrant, at (585) 340- 2080.

Our agency offers support to companies by identifying efficient work roles and customizing training. Funded in part by the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, Walter Hubbell Employment Services Fund and the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund.

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Services for Youth

The Employment Alliance is offering a mutually beneficial experience for students – ages 14 through 21 – and local business, through Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Pre-ETS matches student interns with companies around the community for actual job experiences. Interns are paid through Pre-ETS, so this is a free opportunity for businesses to support and help to develop student job skills with potential for employment. An employment specialist can work with both the student and the business to support a smooth transition into the workplace.

We work with businesses in the Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara regions from all sectors including hospitality to government/municipalities, retail and more. Our goal is to set all parties up for success by matching the right candidate to the right business.

If you are a parent or student interested in learning more about internships, or a business that wants to learn more about recruiting an intern, call (585) 340–2080 or email employment-alliance@heritagechristianservices.org. You can also fill out our interest form and we’ll contact you.

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Key Business Partner Benefits

What does the Employment Alliance bring to the workplace? New employees are provided with an employment specialist/job coach. The employment specialist will:

• Partner with you as you train a new employee and offer individualized training support as needed
• Assist the new employee with learning their job responsibilities, as well as become acclimated to the culture of your organization
• Be available to the work site supervisor to discuss employee progress and provide any additional coaching to improve performance
• As the new employee becomes more proficient in their job, the employment specialist will phase out on-site support, while maintaining contact with both you and the new employee

In addition, the Employment Alliance can facilitate conversations on including disability in your workforce. This may be helpful to management, human resources, front-line workers and volunteers.

As a business partner with the Employment Alliance, what can you expect?

• You’ll provide training and any work-related items to the new employee as you would any new employee
• The Employment Alliance will provide you and the employee with ongoing support
• The Employment Alliance will be a resource regarding incentives and benefits that may be available to businesses who hire people with disabilities

For more information about partnering with us, contact the Employment Alliance at (585) 340-2080 or employment-alliance@heritagechristianservices.org.

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Bringing Talent to Business

Careers: A driving force for independence

Alex Mortillaro has been fascinated with motorcycles since he was about 7, so it’s only natural that he’d seek a career where he could be around them all the time.

“It still seems a bit shocking, to be honest,” he said, even after working as a mechanic’s assistant at Dehond Cycle & Auto for several months. “It has been a positive influence in many different aspects, and it’s definitely a good position for me.” Mortillaro has had other jobs, including one with relatives at a bakery, but this job is different.

“I’ve learned countless things about working on motorcycles, cars and ATVs,” he said. “I’ve learned how to use many tools and equipment as well.”

And he has helped the mechanics work more quickly and efficiently at Dehond Cycle & Auto, one of the many businesses, large and small, now realizing that the largely untapped pool of workers with disabilities can help them meet their workplace needs.

“We hope to have Alex here forever, he does so well,” said Mark Dehond, owner of Dehond Cycle & Auto. “He’s beyond my expectations and doing awesome.”

The Employment Alliance, a program of Heritage Christian Services, works with businesses to do everything from finding right-fit talent to offering onsite job coaching. Thanks to a grant from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, the Employment Alliance has published a guide to hiring people with disabilities and created videos to share with companies and prospective employees. “(The Employment Alliance) is a great program to be with,” Mortillaro said, “and it is helping me become more of an independent individual.”

For more information

To learn more, call the Employment Alliance at (585) 340-2080 or email: employment_alliance@heritagechristianservices.org.

Resources

Eleversity

https://eleversity.org/

New York State Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)

https://apse.org/chapter/new-york/

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

https://askjan.org/

“At Your Service”

Recommendations to engage, connect and interact.

https://northeastada.org/