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<\/a>College2Careers<\/a><\/strong>, a program offered by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, was announced in fall 2019 and is supporting students at 15 public colleges and universities around the state. Through each institution\u2019s disability and career services offices, College2Careers helps provide career exploration, assistive technology, resum\u00e9 preparation and more for students to complete their degree, earn higher wages, and meet the demands of employers.<\/p>\nThe University of Toledo was selected as a participating institution at the program\u2019s launch based on a combination of census information of students with disabilities, a need for geographic representation throughout Ohio, and the availability of dedicated space and resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cCollege2Careers was conceptualized as a way to close gaps in services for students, not only during college, but after graduation as well,\u201d said Tinola Mayfield-Guerrero, a vocational rehabilitation counselor embedded with UToledo\u2019s Student Disability Services Office<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough a collaborative process and conversation with each student, we\u2019re able to take a holistic, \u2018listen first\u2019 approach that helps them understand the system. We want the graduation and employment experience to be seamless.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of the program\u2019s potential is to address urgent disparities in the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 80% of persons with a disability are unemployed nationwide, compared to only 34% for those without a disability.<\/p>\n The Student Disability Services team implementing College2Careers at UToledo has shown success with assisting students with disabilities, in large part because of how immersed Mayfield-Guerrero is within their office and workflow.<\/p>\n \u201cDeveloped with the staff at the Student Disability Services Office, UToledo\u2019s process helps incoming students understand how the program can help them during college and in achieving their career goals,\u201d said Kristin Garrett, program administrator at Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. \u201cThey have worked together to set up a system of serving students with disabilities that has been very effective and successful.\u201d<\/p>\n College2Careers is already showing promising results among students. Fawad Khan, a computer science and engineering technology major expecting to graduate in spring 2021, is legally deaf and worked with UToledo\u2019s team on virtual interviewing skills.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen everything shut down due to the pandemic, I was worried. I\u2019m more used to in-person interviews,\u201d Khan said. \u201cBut after the coaching and training, I felt very comfortable during a remote interview with a recruiter. The questions were very similar to our practice sessions, and I feel like I aced it.\u201d<\/p>\n