Wilbur Wright College and Mariano's team-up to champion inclusive employment

M.J. Armour traveled from the South Side of Chicago to the Mariano’s grocery store in Park Ridge for a job interview. 

Read the full article in Cook County Chronicle. 

“I was a little nervous, but the more I was talking to the interviewer, the more confident I was. It was a pretty uneasy/easy experience for me, and I really enjoyed it,” Armour said of the interview. “It flowed pretty well. The energy was pretty good. She asked pretty good questions. I asked a few questions about her, what she liked about the job. I feel it went back and forth pretty good for both of us.” 

Armour, said he hoped to land a position at a Mariano’s. 

“At Mariano’s, I feel you are going to talk to more people, new people every day, getting you to be more social, which can help with anxiety and other things,” said Armour, who wore a white cardigan sweater to his interview. 

Mariano’s Jennifer Hayes talks with Project Wright Access students about job readiness.

The 19-year-old Armour said he has also done job-preparation work at Vaughn Occupational High School, which is part of Project Wright Access, aimed at creating pathways to employment for young people with intellectual and related disabilities. 

Students from Vaughn visited the Mariano’s in Park Ridge on Oct. 7 to dive into resume-building, interview prep, and, like Armour, even apply for job openings at Mariano’s across the Chicago area. 

Mariano’s officials said they are proud to expand their inclusive hiring efforts. Through Wright College’s Project Wright Access, Mariano’s is launching a pilot cohort of supported employees. 

“We’ve always believed in the power of inclusive hiring,” said Nicki Fickau, human resources leader at Mariano’s. “Partnering with Project Wright Access is a fantastic opportunity to welcome talented new team members and grow our programs that support diverse employment.” 

Mariano’s Roger Gonzalez-Roman talks with Project Wright Access students about procedures in the produce section at the Park Ridge grocery.

Led by Noel McNally, a 25-year veteran of Chicago Public Schools, Project Wright Access works to ensure that individuals with disabilities not only find work, but also receive the coaching, accommodations, and long-term support they need. 

Project Wright Access is a grant-funded program by the Illinois Department of Commerce that brings students from CPS high schools into Wright College for course work, industry certification, internships and employment. 

“We have business partners associated with the project — Mariano’s being one of them — that provide the internships and employment aspect and then we do the coursework on campus or we even go to some of the high schools and do it,” McNally said. 

Vaughn Occupation is a founding member of the program and one of the biggest participants. 

McNally noted that a program participant has been working at Eli’s Cheesecake for 19 years. 

“People with disabilities bring incredible skills to the workplace,” said Marc Shulman, president of Eli’s Cheesecake. “We hope this project inspires other employers to see the amazing value these individuals offer.” 

Ratajczak helps a Project Wright Access participant with his resume.

Along with Eli’s and Mariano’s, Wright Access partners include D’Agostino’s Pizza and Pub, Vietfive Coffee, Horse Thief Hollow restaurant, Culver’s, Lurie Children’s Hospital and Walgreens — providing workers, as well as job coaching and support, all at no cost to employers. 

McNally said Project Wright Access is excited to add the Mariano’s pilot cohort. 

“We’re beyond grateful for Mariano’s enthusiasm,” McNally said. “This partnership is going to unlock amazing opportunities for some truly awesome young people who shine in retail, food service, hospitality, and beyond.” 

McNally said in his role he gets to see students who have gone through the Wright program “shine” in employment settings. 

Erick Tellez is a postsecondary employment preparation teacher at Vaughn Occupational in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. 

He said the Project Wright Access program connects students with community partners and available employment.  

“One of the things that we worry about is after our students graduate, what comes next for them? Do they have a job ready?” Tellez asked. “Are they going to be participating in a day program? Will they be taking any college classes? 

“Our biggest fear is for them to not have anything to do after they graduate, so the importance of this program is really preparing the student for what comes next. For us, I think employment is a really big focus area. We would like all of our students to find some type of employment no matter where it is.” 

Tellez said he stays motivated seeing a student who has gone through an internship at an area business, then get a call from that same business about an employment opportunity. 

“It also helps the students build their confidence in areas that they thought they had no experience in, but after their internship, after all the job coaches help them, they are definitely more willing to try new things.”