TransCanWork.org And LGBT Weddings, Inc.
After watching the Trans Can Work video for employers, LGBT Weddings, Inc. immediately began the process of becoming a qualified TCW employer. The organization was discovered after reading an article about its founder, Michaela Mendelsohn, the owner and chief executive of the Pollo West Corporation, a California corporation operating six El Pollo Loco restaurants that employ 500 people. Their training program was well produced with great questions and firm, informative answers for employers.
TransCanWork.org is helping employers realize the talent pool they are denying themselves by not hiring transgender employees. The video demonstrates staggering statistics about unemployment rates experienced by people identifying as transgender, but more statistics of decreased turnover and greater rates of retention through inclusive hiring practices, which is good news for employers. Their goal is to find welcoming employers for the 1.4 million Americans who identify as transgender.
The program is backed by grant funding that subsidizes initial training/hiring costs for employers through reimbursement of the first 60 hours of training and/or employment.
TransCanWork has gained large contracts with Grindr & Snapchat who are hiring & training for tech positions. While their primary hiring pool reside in the Los Angeles area, the goal is to extend the agency’s presence nationally and they are pressing for quick expansion.
Employers must complete an employer orientation to qualify themselves to hire through TCW. TCW offers employment applications that include fields such as preferred nouns and preferred name. A benefit of using applications with inclusive fields is that it sets a tone that supports a diverse and inclusive work culture. Whether a person identifies as LGBTQ, or not, when completing an employment application that includes these fields it strengthens the company’s corporate culture even before actual employment begins. Very cool.
The world is changing for the better. Learn more about this incredible workforce resource at: www.TransCanWork.org
Kimberly Vaughan, President & CEO
LGBT Weddings, Inc.