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UW-Platteville Receives Exemplary Award for Diverse and Inclusive Hiring Practices

PLATTEVILLE – Known as "Mr. Go-Go" to some, Aaron Matthews can be seen most school days running around Pioneer Crossing, University of Wisconsin-Platteville's dining location inside the Markee Pioneer Center. The 23-year-old from Boscobel is a Room Supervisor tasked with supporting the dining hall, which serves more than 1,000 students every day.

"It really keeps me busy, and I get to move around a lot," Matthews said. "I get to meet a bunch of new people, including people from all over the world."

Matthews' successful work experience at UW-Platteville is a testament to the university's diverse and inclusive hiring practices that welcome individuals with disabilities into its workforce. On Monday, these practices were highlighted when the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) presented UW-Platteville with an Exemplary Employer award signed by Gov. Tony Evers.

"Gov. Tony Evers and his administration have made it a priority to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access a full range of choices and opportunities when it comes to living and working in Wisconsin," said DWD Assistant Deputy Secretary Danielle Williams. "Wisconsin employers hiring people with disabilities aren't simply helping someone get a job; they are changing lives – the lives of those they employ, their family members, and of others in their community who see the work employers are doing and start believing that they can also be a part of something great."

Matthews is a 2019 graduate of UW-Platteville's Project SEARCH program, a collaborative initiative that provides individuals with disabilities up to 12 months of classroom instruction and internship rotations at host businesses. Like Matthews, many interns are hired by the host site upon completion of the program. UW-Platteville became a Project SEARCH host site in 2018.

At any given moment, DVR is working with 15,000 individuals around the state who are preparing themselves or ready to join the workforce. In Program Year 2021 alone, over 2,000 employers hired 3,500 consumers as a result of working with DVR.

The award is presented as Gov. Tony Evers has proclaimed the month of October Disability Employment Awareness Month in Wisconsin to highlight businesses that recruit and hire people with disabilities and encourage other businesses to provide opportunities for this skilled, dedicated and capable workforce.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month began 77 years ago in 1945, when Congress passed a law focusing on the first week of October. In 1988 Congress expanded the week to a month and selected the name National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each year a theme is chosen by the Office of Disability Employment Policy under the U.S. Department of Labor.

The recognition event at the Markee Pioneer Student Center on the UW-Platteville campus featured remarks from DWD Deputy Assistant Secretary Danielle Williams, UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich, UW-Platteville Human Resources Manager Jessica Wright, Assistant Director of Dining Services Dave Ernst, and Tom Schmit, Director of Employment Services for Hodan Community Services.

Wisconsin employers are encouraged to contact DVR and meet with a DVR Business Services Consultant who can connect them to no-cost services that will help recruit qualified workers with disabilities, build staff diversity, retain well-trained employees, and access workforce planning resources.

Individuals with disabilities looking for assistance finding, keeping, or getting a better job can contact DVR at 800-261-0050 or learn more and apply for services on DVR's website.

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ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.