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Sertoma Center partners with UT for resident's employment, for the first time

Sertoma placed a first-time resident at a job with UT and opened up about possible obstacles for placing people with employers.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Sertoma Center placed one of its residents with the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, one of the largest employers in the area.

The center recently helped Shawn get a job there. WBIR is only identifying him by his first name, for privacy reasons. Shawn gets support from the Sertoma Center, which provides services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

"Doing, you know, pretty good," Shawn said. "I used to work at Goodwill and all that."

Ashley Copeland, the Sertoma Center's director of employment, said it can be hard to convince employers to hire some of their residents.

"Employers may not understand how capable individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities actually are," Copeland said. "They really need to see firsthand some of the tasks that they can perform."

UT said it has resources to help everyone apply for jobs, no matter what their background. It said everyone deserves a chance to find a job they thrive in.

"I think everybody in the world deserves the opportunity to work at a great place and to thrive and be able to take care of themselves," said Chelsey Byrd, a recruitment manager at UT.

Both the Sertoma Center and UT said hiring residents can be a win-win situation.

"At the end of the day, creating opportunity for others creates opportunities for you as the employer. It increases the success right," Byrd said.

Copeland said Shawn has great qualities to offer. He went through a rough patch during the COVID-19 pandemic when several workers lost their jobs, and now he's finally getting back on his feet.

"We're just we're so excited for him. He's such a hard worker," Copeland said. "He keeps his room really tidy, he takes a lot of pride in all the work that he does."

Shawn will be cleaning lobbies at UT's dormitories and his first day starts this week. Since one of his favorite things is to play Xbox, this is what he wants to buy with his first paycheck.

"Maybe Xbox or some cars or something like that," Shawn said.


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