Miami, Nov. 26, 2018 – Miami Dade College (MDC) will receive a $250,000 Strategic Employment Placement Initiative Grant from The Able Trust at 10 a.m., Tuesday, November 27. MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón and Dr. Susanne Homant, President & CEO of The Able Trust, will be at the presentation for the three-year grant, which addresses the employment placement of Floridians with disabilities.
“We are incredibly grateful for this grant, which will undoubtedly support MDC’s continuous efforts to increase employment opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities who will benefit from great opportunities to contribute to our state’s economic development,” said Dr. Padrón.
The grant will be awarded for the MEED+ (Model for Enhanced Employment Development Plus) program. MEED+ will focus on the three goals for the project, with a theme of increasing the employability of students with disabilities at MDC. These goals are: 1) increase internship and job placements for students with disabilities; 2) increase individual career development sessions and career services sessions; and 3) increase career services workshops for students and disability awareness workshops for employers and organizations in the community.
“The Able Trust is excited to partner with Miami Dade College,” said Dr. Homant. “This grant will enable Miami Dade College to augment and enhance MEED+, which will provide additional services for individuals in South Florida with disabilities to find successful employment. Supporting programs like MEED+ is vital and are boons for both the individuals who use the program and the south Florida community.”
The Able Trust provides opportunities for successful employment for Floridians with disabilities. The organization provides funds to qualifying organizations that have established or want to develop employment placement programs that assist individuals with disabilities to achieve employment in their communities and in their career fields.
About The Able Trust
The Able Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to be a key leader in providing Floridians with disabilities opportunities for successful employment. The Able Trust supports numerous diverse projects, including the High School High Tech program, youth leadership training, work experience training and technical assistance, transportation assistance, career development training, employment and career path direction and assistance to businesses as they seek the employment of people with disabilities. Since its beginnings, The Able Trust has worked with community organizations in every county in Florida to put thousands of people with disabilities to work. To learn more about The Able Trust, please visit AbleTrust.org and follow @AbleTrust.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College is the nation’s largest, campus-based institution of higher education with an undergraduate enrollment of 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences, engineering, data analytics, information systems technology, education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film and others. MDC is the recipient of top national awards. As Democracy’s College, MDC changes lives through accessible, high quality-teaching and learning experiences. It houses the Miami Culinary Institute, the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex, the Miami Fashion Institute, the Eig-Watson School of Aviation, the Idea Center, the School for Advanced Studies, the New World School of the Arts, to name a few. MDC has been named among the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The College embraces its responsibility to serve as an economic, cultural, and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community. Its alumni and employees contribute more than $6 billion annually to the local economy, and MDC graduates occupy top leadership positions in every major industry. MDC is renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, the MDC Live! Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, the Tower Theater, Dyer Building, Koubek Center Mansion and Gardens, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, a sculpture park and a large art gallery system. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.