September 18, 2015 (Rochester, NY) DePaul will be able to help more individuals with disabilities in finding and retaining gainful employment thanks to a grant from First Niagara.

Pictured here, Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for First Niagara John Berry presents a grant to DePaul President Mark Fuller for WorkGuide in Rochester, New York.

DePaul’s WorkGuide Services include comprehensive vocational assessment, career coaching and development, resume preparation, interviewing skills, job development for volunteer placement and paid employment, vocational groups that help consumers manage everyday challenges in the work environment, job coaching and long-term, follow-along services. Unpaid internships prior to seeking paid employment are provided by the Transitional Employment Program, while the Supported Employment Program assists persons with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining competitive employment.

In 2014, 106 people were placed in competitive employment through DePaul WorkGuide. Twenty-one reached the milestone of 30+ hours per week, 49 people were placed in internships and 18 graduated from the program with jobs. Thank you to First Niagara for supporting DePaul’s efforts to help individuals with disabilities gain independence while surmounting potential barriers to employment.