National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: Financial Services

Suntrust Bank: Put Ability to Work Partnership

The Challenge:

To recruit superior talent for the ninth largest bank in the United States in its Richmond, Virginia market, which has experienced its lowest unemployment levels in 30 years.

The Solution:

Target individuals from a diversity of non-traditional pools. For example, SunTrust's temporary staffing group recruits people with disabilities from nearby job-training programs to work at SunTrust, provides them with in-house training, and provides accommodations as necessary.

The Partners:

SunTrust Mid-Atlantic's internal human resource temporary staffing group provides interim employment to non-traditional job seekers.

Virginia Business Leadership Network: President's Committee of Employment of People with Disabilities, a coalition of Virginia business, government and community service organizations, seeks to expand job opportunities and accessible services for individuals with disabilities.

Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services promotes diversity in the workplace and provides quality programs and services, maximizing the employment and independence of people with disabilities.

VCU Business Roundtable identifies and addresses factors that deter or inhibit industries from employing people with disabilities.

Able to Work Consortium works to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW) equips welfare recipients through skills assessment, job readiness training, and employment.

Customer Service Training Academy (CSTA) is a learning center established by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce that provides workers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to become excellent customer service representatives.

Workforce One assists workforce development stakeholders in developing a system capable of producing a prepared workforce.

Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, HOPE VI, a HUD sponsored federal grant for housing revitalization, includes a self-sufficiency training program focusing on job training and readiness.

The Story:

Since the Put Ability to Work partnership began in 1999, SunTrust Bank in Richmond has hired more than 100 people with disabilities as temporary, part-time, or full-time bank employees. Some people with disabilities work in the bank's call center answering incoming calls from customers concerning their bank accounts, balance and deposit information, opening accounts, and other bank products. SunTrust also uses technology to provide more flexible working environments. Some remote call center agents with disabilities are able to work from their homes. For example, one man who is legally blind uses technology to work from home for the call center because travel is so difficult.

SunTrust's Human Resources department also facilitates in-house training. Managers and employees receive training on disability issues in order to provide a smooth transition for new employees who are disabled as well as current employees who become disabled. The Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services provides this training.

A Model of Innovation:

Emphasizing the importance of team building, SunTrust commits time and resources toward developing a talented pool of applicants from diverse and relatively untapped resources. Temporary employment offers an opportunity for workers to build on their experience and training to become more effective employees. SunTrust's workforce diversity efforts have resulted in increased qualified applicant flow, better retention, lower absenteeism and higher morale.

Contacts:

Katherine McCary, Vice President and Manager of FASTAFF
Leadership in Networking the Community and SunTrust
SunTrust Bank
P.O. Box 27546
Richmond, VA 23261
804-319-1865 (p)
804-310-1812 (f) k
atherine.mccary@suntrust.com

Ethel Walker
Regional Marketing Specialist
Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services
8004 Franklin Farms Drive
P.O. Box K300
Richmond, VA 23288
804-662-7153 (p)
804-662-7696 (f)
walkeref@drs.state.va.us

Carol Dunlap, M.ED., AGS
Manager, Business Leadership Network President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
1331 F Street, NW Third Floor
Washington, DC 20004-1107
202-376-6200 (p)
202-376-6868 (f)
202-376-6205 (TTY)
dunlap-carol@dol.gov

Look at What We Are Missing

According to a recent report by Rutgers University economist Douglas Kruse, if an additional one million people with disabilities gained employment, the result would be: · a $21.2 billion annual increase in earned income;

a $1.2 billion annual decrease in means-tested cash income payments; · a $286 million annual decrease in the use of food stamps;

a $1.8 billion decrease in Supplemental Security Income payments;

a decrease of 284,000 persons using Medicaid; and

a decrease of 166,000 persons using Medicare.

Source: Kruse, Douglas. Employment and Disability: Characteristics of Employed and Non-Employed People with Disabilities. A Report to the U.S. Department of Labor. Rutgers University, September 1997.