The California Disability Services Association has named the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) its Employer of the Year for providing jobs to persons with developmental disabilities. The award was presented at the association’s annual awards ceremony on Sept. 21 in Ontario, California.
For more than a decade, MTS has partnered with The Arc of San Diego to provide jobs for developmentally disabled individuals for bus detailing services. The program currently employs 12 individuals.
“MTS’s partnership with The Arc of San Diego is a win-win for our passengers and the community,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. “Detailing our vehicles from top to bottom helps maintain a great fleet and it also provides jobs for people who may otherwise not be able to find work.”
The award highlighted MTS’s commitment to diversity in the workplace and expanding job opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities. The Arc of San Diego nominated MTS for the award and the two agencies have been partners since 2005. Founded in 1951, The Arc of San Diego supports and empowers persons with disabilities to achieve their life goals through employment opportunities, education and life skills training, independent living support, and other community integration activities.
“MTS is a remarkable community partner that provides adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to be vibrant, contributing members of the community in which they live,” said David W. Schneider, president & CEO, The Arc of San Diego. “The pride that comes from going to work and earning a paycheck empowers these extraordinary individuals to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.”
MTS provides work opportunities for Arc employees at two bus facilities in East Village and Kearny Mesa. The Arc employees are responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of the interior of all MTS buses by detailing all surfaces from the ceiling to the floor. The partnership calls for more than 1,500 deep cleans annually, but the Arc employees consistently achieve more than 2,000 thanks to their speed and efficiency on the job. This is a significant accomplishment since MTS buses are deep-cleaned every 6,000 miles as part of the preventative maintenance cycle. Arc employees typically deep-clean four buses per day, taking a crew of four people about two hours per 40-foot bus. The opportunity has provided Arc employees with stable positions, good working hours, sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
