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Show career fair C2 MONDAY • JANUARY 22 • 2007 Projects with industry aids students with disabilities Jared Magill Assistant News Editor U VSC students with disabilities have an ally to aid them in reaching their employment and career goals called, "Projects With Industry." Projects With Industry is a career development program for UVSC students and alumni with disabilities, that is funded by a federal grant from the Department of Education which provides customized career counseling for those with various different types of disabilities. "Our goal is to make students and alumni with disabilities be competitive "Our goal is to make students and alumni with disabilities be competitive in the job market/' —Jeannine Hadle in the job market," said PWI Counselor Jeannine Hadle,. "That doesn't mean they get preferential treatment, but they can compete." Currently PWI at UVSC is working hard to assist about 21 students who have been referred, and as of late March, we have helped one student find better employment. Other activities involve a marketing effort to let students know PWI is here and available and developing business contacts throughout Utah County. Students in need of PWI's services can simply call a PWI counselor and let them know what type or types of assistance they are in need of and PWI staff does whatever is in their power to foster the growth and advancement of UVSC students and alumni who have disabilities. "We have some students who have no work experience, so we try to find them internships or job shadowing experience," said Hadley. "If they need to practice interviewing skills, we can set up a mock interview. We have students who can maybe only use one hand or they need a left-handed keyboard. They just let us know what they need help with." PWI also conducts seminars, workshops and activities throughout the year that disabled students are invited to participate in to receive free training on a variety of career-related topics. Eventually, this model Projects With Industry of school and business (PWI) began in the early 1960s as a partnership partnership was included between IBM corporation in the and schools to develop Rehabilitation Act of qualified COBOL 1968 and titled "Projects programmers. IB M felt With Industry." Its purpose that people with disabilities was and is to develop wouldbe ideal programmers cooperative arrangements rehabilitation because the career was less between physically demanding and organizations and private adaptable to people of all employers in building competitive employment ability levels. placement programs for persons with disabilities. Currently there are about 70 Projects With Industry funded by the federal government. These projects vary in focus. Some are national; others local or regional. Some serve certain categories of people such as youth or the elderly or persons with a specific disability. Each project places an emphasis on serving individuals with severe disabilities. Projects are run by a wide variety of organizations including major corporations, unions, rehabilitation facilities, small businesses, advocacy organizations, national trade associations and organizations created for the purpose of providing PWI services. Eligibility for PWI's services is extended to any UVSC student and alumni, meaning anyone who has ever taken a class at UVSC. The Projects With Industry offices are located in WB 146 C, D and BA 113. Their office phone number is (801) 863-6364. Interview success Nate Gambill News Writer Virtually all employers will interview the people interested in working for their company. They do this to weed out mediocre people. They want reliable, honest, hard-working employees. They're going to invest time and money into the training of their employees and want the best possible return from that investment. According to a handout available at the Career and Student Employment Center (BA 113), during the first ten seconds of an interview, the interviewer will evaluate four things: attire, grooming, handshake, and our introduction. We should find out how the interviewer will be dressed, if at all possible, and dress along the same lines. We don't want to wear a suit if the interviewer will be in a Tshirt, or vice-versa. If we're not sure how they'll be dressed then we should aim high. It is better to be too dressed up then not dressed up enough. We should pay attention to hygiene and grooming, give a firm handshake, and maintain eye contact during introductions. During the interview, it's a good idea to gradually and subtly mimic the sitting positions of the interviewer. If they cross their legs or lean forward, we should wait a minute then do the same (don't be weird about it, though). This will communicate that we 're paying attention and also help the interviewer feel more comfortable with us. The job interview is an employer's most powerful tool to distinguish between the average candidates and the people they actually want to hire. Questions will most likely deal with the reasons we're interested in working for their company and how we feel that we can contribute to their purpose. Answer the entire question, but do it briefly. In other words, don't avoid part of what they ask, but don't give an answer to what they don't ask. That means we're going to want to know what their purpose as a company is before we go to the interview. We'll want to do our research in order to have a basic knowledge of how the company makes money and what type of people they look for to help them do it. By the way, don't ever ask about salary unless the interviewer brings it up. Plan on following up some time after the interview with a handwritten thankyou note to express appreciation for the interviewer's time and consideration. Take advantage of the opportunity to express further interest in the position. If we follow these basic guidelines and learn how to "think on our feet," we're sure to have more success in our job search. You Could Win an IPOD!!! Bring this coupon to Career Services & Student Employment, BA 113. You will be required to register on the UV Job Board or if already registered exchange this coupon for a list of CSSE services. Your name will then be entered into a drawing for the Ipod. Don't miss your chance to get a FREE IPod Sponsored by Projects With Industry - PWI Helping students with disabilities achieve success! . 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