One Birmingham partnership + dozens of first jobs for teens with learning differences

Sponsored

Remember your first job? While picking up workplace fundamentals may seem routine for many, it can be a roadblock for neurodivergent teens.

We’re here with a truly textbook case of how that can be a positive experience.

Watch and read on to learn how a longtime Birmingham company, Publishers’ Warehouse, and a nonprofit, Triumph Services, connect local youths to meaningful work every summer.

Meet the team at Publishers’ Warehouse

👀 Watch the video above to hear from Publishers’ Warehouse Logistics Manager Davonia Buck and Triumph Services Career Coach Vicki Phillips

The Publishers’ Warehouse team connected with Triumph Services a few years ago after attending a Triumph luncheon. The nonprofit, founded in 2007, works with over 100 community partners to serve approximately 500 individuals annually across five counties to provide, in their own words, “the tools at home, at work and in relationships for people with disabilities to thrive independently.”

Immediately recognizing that they could be a great match for students in Triumph’s JET (Job Exploration Training) program, the Publishers’ Warehouse team got in touch, says Triumph Services Executive Director Beth Zaiontz.

Valuable partnerships + work experiences

Since forming the partnership, groups of four to six students show up five days a week for seven weeks each summer at Publishers’ Warehouse, with Phillips there to guide and coach them.

The companies commit time and care to the students while increasing inclusivity and understanding within their cultures. Davonia recalls her first experience with this summer’s group, which she says was a surprise in the best way. She’d lined up an inventory project she thought would take a week, and the students wrapped it up on day one.

Publishers’ Warehouse Production Supervisor Pat Winchester, who coordinates task planning for the students with Davonia and Vicki, agreed this summer’s cohort has been exceptional with important, detail-oriented work in the warehouse.

Learn more about careers with EBSCO Industries.

A welcoming, inclusive place

While the students learning different types of work and earning those first paychecks are important, Davonia and Vicki both point to the bigger picture of what the students gain from the experience—feeling welcomed and included while picking up soft skills.

“Publishers’ Warehouse is one of the most welcoming companies I have brought students to over my entire career. They treat us like every other employee, including us when there’s a birthday or when lunches are brought in, and greeting students every morning to ask how they’re doing.”
_{– Vicki Phillips, Triumph Services Career Coach}

Setting young people up for success

In addition to working with Triumph, Publishers’ Warehouse also partners on similar programming through Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates and United Ability, just one extension of how EBSCO fundamentally believes in “doing good and doing well.”

“When I see these students, they’re excited to be here. They’ve got smiles on their faces when they come in, and they’re willing to do the hard work.”
_{– Davonia Buck, Publishers’ Warehouse Logistics Manager}

Visit EBSCO Industries to learn more about its culture and career opportunities.

Sponsored by: