Hibbett Partners With United Ability To Host Summer Jobs Program Benefitting High School Students With Disabilities
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hibbett, the leading Birmingham based premium footwear and athleisure retailer, announced a partnership with United Ability of Alabama to host a worksite for its six-week long, summer Job Exploration Training Services (JETS) program. The JETS summer program that began in June, has enabled ten high school students with varying abilities to receive on-the-job training, mentoring and work experience, side-by-side with other Hibbett employees at the company's Distribution Center in Birmingham.
"We are so appreciative of the support Hibbett has shown United Ability's Summer JETS Program," said Katie Dumais, Director of Employment Services, United Ability. "Hibbett has proven itself to be a true leader in the community and we look forward to growing this partnership for years to come."
"We could not be prouder to host a program that is so impactful in Birmingham and provides access, opportunities and jobs to capable and hard-working youth who are often overlooked or forgotten in the job market," said Harvey Knighten, VP Human Resources, Hibbett. "The JETS program allows a unique opportunity to these students as they prepare to enter a competitive workforce and in fact, we are hiring a couple of the students who were interested in permanent positions."
The United Ability JETS program was developed five years ago to help Birmingham's disabled community find more independence and career opportunities, despite being faced with intellectual, physical or mental challenges. Students in the JETS program must be at least 16 years old, enrolled in a greater Birmingham area high school and enrolled with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Students in the program receive a combination of work-based learning and on the job support as they receive mentoring and learn the skills needed to perform a variety of different jobs. All program participants are paid to work four hours per day, five days a week for the 6-week duration of the program.
Hibbett will be participating in the first annual United Ability and the Department of Rehabilitation Services, DisABILITY Hiring Expo taking place on September 23, 2021 at 2pm at United Ability's LincPoint Campus, located at: 101 Oslo Circle in Birmingham. Due to the success of the JETS summer worksite program at Hibbett, the company has committed to participating again for Summer 2022 and will continue to strengthen the partnership with United Ability in the future.
About Hibbett
Hibbett, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a leading athletic-inspired fashion retailer with more than 1070 Hibbett Sports and City Gear specialty stores, located in 35 states nationwide. Hibbett has a rich history of serving customers for more than 75 years with convenient locations, personalized service and access to coveted footwear, apparel and equipment from top brands like Nike, Jordan, and adidas. Consumers can browse styles, find new releases, shop looks and make purchases online or in their nearest store by visiting www.hibbett.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @hibbettsports and @citygear.
About United Ability
Unique in the state of Alabama, United Ability provides a life-spectrum of programs designed to promote self-reliance, present choices, and improve the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities. In 2020 United Ability served over 5,400 children and adults with disabilities, including but not limited to: cerebral palsy; spina bifida, autism; Down syndrome, Rett Syndrome, limb loss/deficiency, closed head injuries, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and more through its ten programs. Visit United Ability online at www.unitedability.org
Media contact: Wendy Yellin, email: [email protected]
SOURCE Hibbett Inc.
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