Anna Mariani Honored for Empowering Workers with Disabilities
Everyone deserves a chance to feel fulfilled in sharing their talents doing work they enjoy. District Marketing and Communications Manager Anna Mariani, believes disabilities should never stop anyone from reaching their full potential. That’s why she leads Eurest’s collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Project SEARCH, an initiative within the SEEC organization. Together, they aim to assist young adults with disabilities in finding jobs.
Anna’s passion and hard work recently earned her the SEEC Ambassador Award. This award goes to champions who spend a year working towards SEEC’s mission of helping people with disabilities find jobs. It’s for those who support job projects, make new connections, and speak up for people trying to start their careers.
With Project SEARCH Anna identifies suitable positions for interns within Eurest’s marketplace at NIH. These jobs help young people with cognitive and developmental disabilities learn and succeed.
“Interns and associates with disabilities represent an often-overlooked wellspring of talent within the workforce. By offering opportunities to individuals with disabilities, we not only strengthen the workforce and the community but also cultivate a talent pipeline that aligns with labor needs, nurtures high-performing individuals who exhibit strong retention rates once hired, and fosters a more inclusive workplace,” says Anna.
Championing Inclusivity and Empowerment
Eurest’s partnership with Project SEARCH and NIH has provided 17 internships over the years. These internships help people with disabilities learn valuable skills through jobs like utility work or detailed tasks, using their strengths.
These opportunities give people with disabilities independence and skills they can use in other jobs, and they have managers and colleagues to offer guidance to help them succeed.
“I am extremely proud to represent the Eurest business and the shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values of Eurest and my client. This award is a testament to the belief that values-driven leadership positively impacts business in deeply awe-inspiring ways that empower individuals to learn and find purpose through developing skillsets,” says Anna.