Andrew moved from Ontario to Calgary in the spring of 2012. He had been unemployed for an extended period of time and hoped that the move would bring forward more opportunities for him. With limited employment support available to Andrew in Ontario, he hoped Calgary had a service that would help him find a fulfilling job that would accommodate his Cerebral Palsy.

Andrew began working with Calgary Alternative Employment Services in the summer of 2013. He completed a pre-employment process, where he was pre-screened and coached to ensure job-readiness, and then transferred into our marketing program. When I met with Andrew we discussed his previous work experience and what he liked and did not like about the previous positions he had held. Immediately I could see that he was eager to work and ready to connect with Calgary employers. Based on Andrew’s previous experience with general maintenance and commercial cleaning he had decided that he would like to continue this type of work.

Andrew and I interviewed at a local McDonald’s that was seeking staff.  We approached the manager and explained that Andrew had done some general maintenance and cleaning in the past and that he would be a great addition to their team. Since Andrew was only looking for a part-time position we suggested that he could come in a few days during the week and help with odd tasks that were taking other employees away from their main duties. Andrew could tend to these various duties when the restaurant was the least busy, to reduce the impact that it would have on customers, and also be available to assist with other cleaning and customer service tasks during peak hours.

Andrew has been happily employed since March 2014. The managers and other employees are thrilled to have Andrew on board and appreciate how he is able to reduce the strain on other employees during peak hours. Overall, McDonald’s has noticed an increase in productivity and customer satisfaction and they look forward to continued success with workplace diversity.