Thrive
LiFT Live job fair debuts Thursday
The event will provide neurodiverse students with an opportunity to demonstrate skills.
Leaders at Clearwater-based Learning Independence for Tomorrow (LiFT) are dedicated to making a difference for neurodiverse individuals. The not-for-profit organization operates two academic programs, LiFT Academy (K – 12) and LiFT University (post-secondary education).
LiFT will host its first annual LiFT Live: A Reverse Job Fair Experience Thursday, at its Clearwater campus (at 1005 S. Highland Avenue), from 1 to 3 p.m.
The goal of the event is to showcase the talents and skills of neurodiverse students through interactive stations. Different career pathways such as hospitality and tourism, retail, advanced manufacturing, information technology and health services will be represented.
Approximately 200 employers, hiring managers, community leaders and workforce partners are expected to attend the gathering.
“The reason we would do something like this and try to make it a little bit unique is because the general public and many employers just don’t have a clear understanding of the capabilities of people with neurodiversity,” LiFT executive director Matt Spence explained. “Our students can do any and everything that a neurotypical student can do. In fact, they have some really unique skills and talents that make them ideal employees in certain situations.”
Participants will demonstrate capabilities such as baking, setting up video calls and making candles.
“It’s literally life changing,” he said. “The opportunity for our students to display their talents and then for employers to see that, it is the first step to our students truly being independent.”
LiFT students are working in a variety of places in the Tampa Bay area, Spence added. Sometimes employers just “need to cross that initial hurdle of a lack of information, or maybe some hesitation around what it might look like in the workplace.”
Company representatives can also learn about LiFT’s micro businesses including LiFT Your Fork Catering, LiFT Cleaning Crew and LiFT Your Heart retail services, which are operated by neurodiverse individuals.
For example, he explained that the young people create candles in the LiFT Your Heart business. They make the products by hand and even participate in quality control exercises.
“The students gain all of these really valuable job skills in a place where it’s safe to make mistakes,” Spence said, “because you have a job coach right there at your shoulder. You have somebody encouraging you and helping you fix that mistake.”
Best of all, he added, the young adults “cheer each other on” when a new task is accomplished.
LiFT University student Jada Kearns has played an active role in the LiFT Fork Catering business. At home, she is practicing her cooking skills including cutting food.
“I am looking forward to getting a job,” Kearns said. “I want to help my parents out with most of the grocery shopping because my mom does all of it for us.”
She added that she enjoys learning new things every day and spending time with friends. Kearns hopes to work in the graphic design industry or with animals.
