Starting this fall, CJP will launch Young Adult Transitions to Work, a new program to train and employ people with disabilities. Created in partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation, Jewish Vocational Service, and Hebrew SeniorLife, the program received a $2.5 million grant from the Foundation, in order to fill a growing unmet need in the community.

Today’s job market is tough on everyone, but for people with disabilities, finding and keeping a job can be impossible. Cuts to state-funded programs have left many without the support services and training they need in order to be successful in the workplace. 

“There are thousands of young adults with disabilities between the ages of 18-30 in Greater Boston’s Jewish community who are capable of working if jobs are provided in conjunction with the right training and support,” says Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

Young Adult Transitions to Work offers an innovative approach to job placement for people with disabilities by partnering with Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL). Together, JVS and HSL identify jobs and develop customized training to match those positions. Transitions also features comprehensive training to fully integrate life and vocational skills, and work readiness.

JVS will continue to develop partnerships with other large Boston-area employers to provide a range of employment opportunities. 

“We’re helping to train a stable, loyal, and productive workforce. However, to reach our goal, we also need the involvement of the Boston business community who value an integrated, diverse workplace,” says Barry Shrage, president of CJP.

Eligibility criteria are not yet final, however, Transitions is targeted to people who:

• Are between the ages of 18-30 and have a documented disability
• have completed high school
• have the potential to be work-ready in a competitive environment within three to nine months
• have a means of transportation

If you would like to be contacted when full eligibility information and applications for the Young Adult Transitions to Work program are available, please send your contact information to:

Madeline Wenzel at mwenzel@jvs-boston.org

or

Elizabeth Sternberg at elizabeths@cjp.org