Prudential Financial, Inc. announced today a $1 million grant to the
National Organization on Disability (NOD), a nonprofit that promotes the
full participation and contributions of America’s 56 million men, women
and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.
The grant, provided through The Prudential Foundation, will help cover
the start-up costs for Bridges to a Better Workforce, a new social
enterprise launched by NOD to help prepare job seekers with disabilities
for specific occupations and provide support services to ensure their
success in the workplace. NOD anticipates that Bridges to a Better
Workforce will serve more than 2,000 job seekers with disabilities by
2019.
“At Prudential, we are committed to using our resources to help
underserved individuals achieve financial security,” said Lata Reddy,
vice president of corporate social responsibility and president of The
Prudential Foundation. “This grant will help people with disabilities,
including veterans, prepare for and secure the high-quality job
opportunities they need to strengthen their long-term economic outlook.”
There is a wide and persistent employment gap between people with and
without disabilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
as of March 2015, 19.8 percent of people with disabilities were in the
labor force. By comparison, the labor force participation rate among
people without disabilities was 68.3 percent.
“The National Organization on Disability is grateful for Prudential’s
deep commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities,”
said Carol Glazer, president of NOD. “Through this partnership, we will
dramatically improve employment opportunities for thousands of people
with disabilities.”
Prudential announced the NOD grant at the 2015 DiversityInc Top 50
Event, where it was also announced that the company earned the No. 8
ranking on this year’s Top 50. Prudential’s diversity leadership has
earned it a spot on the DiversityInc Top 50 list every year since the
recognition program began in 2001.
Earlier this month, Prudential was also named the 2015 Employer of
Choice by Disability Matters. The award, which was presented by
Springboard Consulting at the annual Disability Matters Awards Banquet
and Conference, recognizes corporations with successful initiatives to
recruit, provide support and market to the disability community.
“We value the partnerships we have with the growing networks around the
country that advocate for workers with disabilities,” said Steve
Pelletier, executive vice president, COO, U.S .Businesses at Prudential,
who also accepted the Employer of Choice award in Boston. “The National
Organization on Disability and Springboard Consulting are two of the
premier organizations connecting with corporations on disability
initiatives in the workforce and marketplace. We are honored to be
recognized for our efforts, and we are particularly excited to invest in
programs that expand opportunities for people with disabilities to build
meaningful careers.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, Prudential
strives to be an employer of choice for people with disabilities. It
achieves this through programs like the Abled & disAbled Associates
Partnering Together (ADAPT) business resource group. ADAPT promotes
understanding and hiring of people with disabilities, and supports
employees with disabilities by increasing the awareness and sensitivity
of Prudential’s workforce. In January 2015, Prudential launched Count Me
In!, an enterprise-wide campaign that helps track and monitor the
representation of people with disabilities in its current workforce. The
program launched on the heels of federal regulations requiring certain
contractors to invite applicants and employees to voluntarily disclose
whether they have a disability.
"We want Prudential to be at the forefront of these conversations," said
Michele C. Green, vice president and chief diversity officer for
Prudential. “For us that starts with clearly communicating the value of
having every smart mind at the table, and then backing up that
commitment in the way that we attract and retain talent, and the way
that we show up in the community and the marketplace.”
Prudential’s commitment to people with disabilities extends beyond
company walls and into the communities where it operates. In summer
2014, Prudential was the Presenting Sponsor for the 2014 Special
Olympics USA Games, which took place in New Jersey. During the weeklong
event, 277 Prudential employees volunteered a combined total of 2,538
hours.
The Prudential Foundation is a nonprofit corporation supported by The
Prudential Insurance Company of America, an insurance subsidiary of
Prudential Financial Inc. of the U.S. The Prudential Foundation
advocates for systemic change focused on eliminating barriers to
financial and social mobility in the areas of meeting basic needs,
connecting people to quality jobs, building personal assets and
transforming communities. As a strategic investor, the Foundation makes
long-term commitments that yield tangible results through both grants
and program related investments.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU), a financial services leader with
more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of December 31,
2014, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin
America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to
helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their
wealth through a variety of products and services, including life
insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and
investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has
stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a
century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2015