Welcome to the Summer Newsletter! 

I am delighted to report that the Uniquely Abled Project continues to grow. Over 140 individuals have graduated from Uniquely Abled Academies, and they are maintaining a job placement rate of almost 100%. Nationwide, 15 licensed UAAs have opened or are planning to open, and four more locations have expressed strong interest.

The UAA at College of the Canyons offers training in programming manufacturing robots, our first new career vocation beyond CNC machine operation. We are researching more career vocations to add, developing programs facilitating employment in manufacturing for those with higher support needs, and actively working to merge the UAA approach with apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs.

With great thanks to the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, whose support enabled the 18-month effort, we released a completely revised and improved UAA Replication Guide on August 31. The new structure highlights the ten critical elements of a successful career vocational education program for the uniquely abled. It contains over 100 files, each focused on a particular aspect of a UAA, so that necessary information is easy to access and update.

John Wheeler will represent the UAP at the Neurodiversity and CTE: Your Future Workforce! panel arranged by MEAF, Nov 30 - Dec 1 at the ACTE Career Tech VISION conference in Phoenix.

Our third quarterly UAA Virtual Community Meeting was held on September 19, focusing on UAA Management and Securing Employers.

Volunteers are always welcome. Please contact us here.

As always, all these accomplishments are due to your work and support. Thank you!

Ivan

"Embracing the Skills of Individuals with Autism for Machining"

This past summer The Uniquely Abled Project was approached by The Association For Manufacturing Technology to be a part of an article series. The AMT represents 700+ U.S.-based companies that build and sell manufacturing technology, including all the equipment, machinery, and software used by manufacturers across the country and globally.

The article details the firsthand experience of Peter Rathmann, the owner of Allis Manufacturing Corp., a manufacturing company in Allis, Wisconsin that hired a graduate from the Milwaukee Area Technical College UAA location as a machining apprentice. Also emphaized is the importance of partnerships with local employers and the need for a change in mindset among manufacturers to recognize the value of these unique talents in the workplace.

Read the full article here.

South Central College, Minnesota held a graduation for their second cohort in August. Six students successfully completed the CNC operator training program and were celebrated for this accomplishment at their graduation ceremony. Founder, Ivan Rosenberg and UAP Outreach and Communications Coordinator, Stephanie Riley, were both virtually in attendance for the graduation.

The Fall semester started off strong with many new cohorts starting in the Eastern region. Erie County Community College, Pennsylvania, and Milwaukee Area Technical College, Wisconsin both started new cohorts in August. Erie County Community College began its first cohort with 4 students, and MATC kicked off its third cohort with 10 students. Additionally, Crawford County Career & Technical College in Meadville, Pennsylvania will also be hosting a second cohort to begin in October.

Hudson Valley Community College, New York, and CT State Community College Middlesex, Connecticut are both planning cohorts in CNC, with start dates to be announced.

Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts started the summer off strong with a pilot program of 10 students. The pilot program served as an intentional way to showcase the new UAA program location as well as prepare students for a full-time academy in the Fall of 2023.

During this pilot program students were given the opportunity to visit and tour AccuRounds, a local manufacturing facility, and experience a professional manufacturing environment first-hand.

Bridgewater's first full cohort began in September with 10 total students.