Alabama Power employees help guide students with disabilities toward careers
Students with disabilities from across Jefferson and Shelby counties got a leg up on future employment at the recent Equip event. (contributed)
Getting that first break in the workforce can be tough, but it’s even harder for people with disabilities. A recent mock interview day, hosted by Birmingham-area nonprofit Equip, is helping make that “major” hurdle easier for nearly 300 high school students with disabilities who are preparing for the workforce.
Students from 21 schools across Jefferson and Shelby counties got the opportunity to practice their job interviewing skills during the event at Valleydale Church in Hoover. Professionals from Alabama Power and other area companies and organizations served as job interviewers, asking students questions they could encounter from a prospective employer.
“Our purpose was to inspire the students to start where they are now and go after their dreams. Our second objective was to give the students practice with interviewing with business professionals so they will have some experience when they go to get a job,” said Blake Huynh, founder and executive director of Equip.
Since 2018, Equip has provided vocational, social and life skills training for teens and adults with disabilities. Hands-on, specialized instruction, focused particularly on skills needed for employment, is offered in high school classrooms statewide. Equip also provides help with obtaining employment, as well as on-site job skill support and advocacy in the workplace.
Huynh said people with disabilities have many untapped skills that can benefit employers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment rate for people with disabilities is only 21.3%.
“A lot of people think those with disabilities have severe special needs, but that’s not true,” Huynh said. “We have students who go into trades or professional careers, or own their own business. Ninety-five percent of the disabled population is mainstreamed into the classroom and will be successful at any job they desire to do.”
Huynh said the mock interview day was a “great success.”
“We had nearly 100 volunteers from local businesses to help conduct the interviews,” he said. “Many of the volunteers shared stories about the students they were impressed by and mentioned they would like to hire some of the students as soon as they graduate.”
Alabama Power Talent Acquisition Consultant Andreal Howard was among the volunteers moved by the event. One young man, in particular, stood out, Howard said, because the man took Howard’s advice – and it paid off for him.
Howard had learned, from a critique by another interviewer, that the teen did not respond with any follow-up questions about the job during their exchange. When Howard asked the teen why he’d had no questions, he responded that the earlier interviewer had covered everything he wanted to know about the job before he could ask.
Howard suggested a question that she always poses during a job interview: “Tell me why you have chosen to work here?”
“I shared that generally, panel members don’t anticipate that question and are used to typical questions regarding salary, training or opportunities for promotion,” Howard said. She said the young man used her suggestion with his next interviewer.
“He was so excited that the interviewer really liked his question and even had to think about his response. Seeing the joy and excitement on that student’s face was, without a doubt, a memorable moment for me, and makes what I do daily worthwhile.”
Along with Howard, other Alabama Power volunteer interviewers included Protection and Control Test Engineer Alexandria Dennis, Protection and Control Technician Taylor Trotter and Engineer Marcus Ramsey, all members of the company’s Power Delivery team.
The day kicked off with a presentation from a YouTube and social media influencer, who shared his insights as a content creator and challenged students to pursue their dreams. The students then had an opportunity to practice with five different interviewers, receiving feedback that can help them when they apply for their first job.
Nearly two dozen area businesses provided volunteer interviewers for the event, Huynh said. They included retailers, banks, technology firms, healthcare and automotive companies, and a local resort. Teachers and school system administrators also offered a helping hand.
The Alabama Power Foundation helped sponsor the Mock Interview Day, along with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and its Vocational Rehabilitation Service division.
“This event wouldn’t have been possible without companies and organizations like the Alabama Power Foundation,” Huynh said. “Having partners who care means so much to these young people with disabilities, as well as to our nonprofit.”
To learn more about Equip and how it empowers people with disabilities, visit equipservices.org.
