Breaking the Mold
Gaping market holes are rare. Rarer still are stakeholders in the market who cannot fill the gap despite significant resources. Lime Connect Canada's approach to filling the gap is simple - follow proven practice.
Lime Connect Canada understands that the gap between the corporate community and the disability community exists because of a language barrier. Corporations are focused on creating shareholder value, and maximizing return on investment. A person with a disability is focused on maximizing their potential and being a full partner in the global economy. By bringing these complementary goals to the same table, Lime Connect Canada works to put talent together with opportunities - attracting, preparing and connecting intellectual capital that partners likely do not have access to otherwise.
Put bluntly, Lime Connect Canada is not your typical "disability group."
Real careers.
Real frontier markets.
Real opportunity.
Founded in May of 2009, our best of class Lime Connect Canada partnerships include BMO, IBM Canada, RBC and TD Bank Financial Group. As a benefit of their level of partnership commitment, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, PepsiCo and Google participate in Lime Connect Canada programs as well to tap this intellectual capital.
We are currently in various stages of partnership discussion with additional best of class corporations that represent new industry career opportunities for Lime Connect Canada candidates.
Our partners understand the vast pool of talent that exists in candidates with disabilities, and the facts include:
- 1 in 10 students on university campuses today has a disability, and approximately 1 in 5 individuals in general has a disability.
- For every 10 students who are registered with disability services, another 6 are not because they do not require an accommodation.
- The percentage of college first years with a disability has more than tripled in the last 20 years.
- 90% of all disabilities on campus are "invisible" - including learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, medical conditions and more. 70% of disabilities in general (non-campus) are invisible. When a disability is invisible, the fear of disclosure can be great.
- Students with disabilities are intimidated by the standard corporate recruiting process, and only an estimated 30% enter the regular stream. The other 70% are underemployed, or remain in academia - which is seen by many as a "safe environment."
- Experienced candidates with disabilities can also be intimidated by the standard corporate recruitment process and as a result not seek career advancement.
- Lime Connect Canada puts talent first and disability second. Lime Connect Canada candidates compete, as they desire to do, with all other candidates for positions. We don't ask, or want, our partners to set aside "special jobs for special people," and we work with our university partners to see our candidates' talent and intellectual capital lead them to success.
Lime Connect Canada, and our brand that says partnership is about a fresh approach to being "smart" and not about being "nice," attracts the talented candidates our partners want to see.
