What We Do
Career Services offers specialized programming for students and alumni who identify as having a disability and for employers who want to hire more inclusively through Accessible Career Transitions (ACT). ACT provides two types of services:
- ACT Advising includes individualized and ongoing career management support for Carleton students and alumni who identify as having a disability.
- ACT to Employ helps facilitate meaningful employment opportunities for Carleton students with disabilities. The main objective is to support students in the transition to employment by connecting them with quality hands-on work experience while supporting our Employer Champions in creating an accessible, inclusive, and diverse workplace. This includes end-to-end support to employers through the recruitment process and during work terms.
Our Team
Jenna Lambert, MSW, RSW, MA (Counselling & Spirituality), MSM
ACT Student Counsellor
jennalambert@cunet.carleton.ca
Jenna supports ACT to Employ students at any stage of the placement process, including pre-placement, during the work term and post work term. Jenna also offers counselling with a career and disability lens.
Nicole Borges
ACT Advisor
nicole.borges@carleton.ca
Nicole helps students and alumni through their career journey by assisting with career exploration strategies, job search strategies, documentation preparation, interview preparation and workplace accommodations.
Amanda Hodgson, BAH, BST, M.Ed (Educational Counselling), RP (Inactive)
ACT to Employ Program Coordinator
amandam.hodgson@carleton.ca
Amanda recruits and educates hiring managers regarding accessibility and accommodation, assists employers with creating and advertising accessible job postings, conducting accessible/alternative interviews, and implementing accommodation requests.
ACT Intern/ Intake Facilitator
act@carleton.ca
The intern conducts program intake appointments and supports new ACT registrants with entry to our program.
Our History
The Carleton University Accessible Experiential Learning (CUAEL) Project ran from May 2018 to August 2019. Carleton University Career Services, in collaboration with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities and the Accessibility Institute (then the READ Initiative), launched the Carleton University Accessibility Experiential Learning (CUAEL) Project in May 2018.
In its pilot year, the CUAEL Project aimed to address the employment gap that exists for students with disabilities by creating employment opportunities for 300 students with disabilities t0 provide them with hands-on quality work experiences while they obtain their post-secondary degree at Carleton.
The CUAEL Project also worked to educate employers about the benefits of hiring students with disabilities and enhance employer knowledge of disability-related best practices in the workplace.
The CUAEL Project was funded by the Career Ready Fund, a part of the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development’s Career Kick-Start Strategy to help colleges, universities, employers and other organizations create experiential learning opportunities for post-secondary students and recent grads.
Due to the success of the project and high student interest in the concept of a dedicated employment program for students with disabilities, the CUAEL Project evolved into the ACT to Employ Program during the 2019-2020 academic year. For more information about ACT to Employ, you can visit: https://carleton.ca/act/.
The Accessibility Institute’s role in this project was to provide research support when conducting research for the funding applications, as well as assist in identifying the overall objectives of the project and what issues the funds would be best suited to address.
Are you a hiring manager or supervisor? Be a part of the program. Be an Employer Champion.