Career exploration and workforce readiness are the focus of a series of specialized camps held this summer to provide new opportunities to people in the community with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) is collaborating with long-time partner Loyal Source to offer youth and young adults the opportunity to learn employment skills.
During the week-long sessions, students learn resume writing, interview skills, office etiquette, job search strategies, and more. The “Loyal Launch” programs are hosted by Loyal Source semi-annually and offer vocational rehabilitation services in which students work alongside staff members to provide workforce solutions to government and private enterprise clients.
Though this is the first summer event that included adults over the age of 22, Loyal Source has been working with UCF CARD for six years to help high school students with ASD learn career basics through internship programs that offer practical work experience. The program explores careers in marketing, human resources, information technology, talent management, graphics, office administration and quality control.
“It is a wonderful program to give our teens and adults a sense of work in a modern office environment, with hands-on experience that gives them confidence and skills that are transferable to many job openings,” says CARD Director Terri Daly. “Some of the past interns have also obtained jobs at Loyal Source as a result, which is also a wonderful outcome.”
Kyle Bannon is one of the three interns Loyal Source has hired in recent years after he completed career training internship with the organization in 2018.
“The work environment here is pleasant, the people are really friendly and chill, and the workload is never overwhelming,” says Bannon, who works part-time as a marketing assistant and is pursuing a degree at UCF. “My duties now involve promotional pieces for our Instagram page. In the future, we might branch out to other platforms.”
The team at Loyal Source says they are constantly reevaluating their programs to ensure students are getting the most of their time there. Recently, they added presentation skills to the arsenal of career readiness skills that participants develop. Students are expected to make a presentation about a topic of their choosing and then present to their peers. Upon completion of the program, the students are expected to have a full array of abilities to aid them in their success in the workplace. Many of them will connect again later with Loyal Source to gain further insight on specific opportunities, interview preparation, cover letter writing, and more.
Andria Queen, Senior Executive Coordinator at Loyal Source, says that it warms her heart when students reach out after graduation. Student success, she says, is her goal and she is always happy to help in whatever way she can.
“Even though they’re only here for a short amount of time, I always build such a strong connection and bond with each and every one of them,” says Queen. “So, when I see them graduate, it’s like a bittersweet feeling because it’s like, ‘well, I’m going to really miss you guys.’ But at the same time, I’m just so proud of them.”
