Wright College

Eli’s Cheesecake to work in partnership with Wright College to hire program completers of Project Wright Access.

Wilbur Wright College (WWC), one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), is thrilled to announce the launch of Project Wright Access, a $300,000 state of Illinois funded program that creates a workforce education pathway for young adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities at the college. This program will work to create more employment trainings and job opportunities for the city’s underserved disabled community.

“This unique workforce training program will remove barriers to employment for our diverse learners,” said President of Wilbur Wright College David Potash. “Hiring people with disabilities conveys and promotes an inclusive work environment and we are thrilled our college can help support these amazing people in finding gainful employment with companies like Eli’s Cheesecake, while meeting both the students’ goals and the needs of business.”

WWC will take the lead in enrolling, training and supporting work placement for the students in partnership with Eli’s Cheesecake. The world renown company based in Chicago, Eli’s Cheesecake, is the co-lead sponsor with the college for on-the-job training and as well as employment placement.

“We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of Project Wright Access and to be able to create opportunities for people with disabilities. At Eli’s, we have always believed that an inclusive workforce with a focus on personal and professional development is essential to our success. Individuals with disabilities bring endless skills to the workforce and we hope this project shows other employers what an asset they are to all of us,” said President of Eli’s Cheesecake, Marc Shulman. “We have been working with Wright College, Vaughn High School and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences for a long time and they are great partners in this work.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has graciously funded Project Wright Access for $300,000 over two years (2022-2024) through the Job Training and Economic Development grant.

WWC has been at the forefront of this work by partnering with Vaughn Occupational High School in the creation of the Community, Occupational, Recreational and Educational (CORE) Program.

“I am so excited for Vaughn Occupational High School students to be part of a revolutionary job training program that will combine the expertise of Vaughn educators, Wright College certification programs and Eli’s Cheesecake internship experience. Leadership in both institutions are dedicated to creating an accessible space for adults with disabilities to learn and succeed as long-term employees across industries,” said Vaughn Occupational High School Principal Stephanie Anderson. “This partnership can help in closing the employment gap in the disability community, and we hope more businesses will realize the positive impact of our students and hire them.”

For more information on the ACCESS Center at Wright, click here.

How City Colleges of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools are supporting Diverse Learners

Through the Chicago Roadmap, an unprecedented partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago, together, they are ramping up supports for Diverse Learners to ensure that every student and their families are informed and supported when transitioning into CCC. CCC has hired an ACCESS Support Director who works exclusively with Chicago Public Schools students intending on enrolling at City Colleges of Chicago. The director supports students’ transition with application support, registering with the ACCESS Centers, and providing students with documented disabilities by providing an extended orientation over the summer and success coaching in the fall.