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Diving brief:

• Sheetz is the first employer in Pennsylvania to commit to a new state-funded program aims to help people with disabilities who earn “lower wages” transition into competitive and integrated employment (CIE), according to a recent announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
• The program will help people “achieve competitive salaries through economically stable career paths,” according to the announcement.
• Sheetz is committed to hiring up to 10 people with disabilities per year and supporting them through career coaches funded by the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. This will “support on-site employees, develop accommodations and prepare employees for long-term success,” according to the announcement.

Dive overview:

Paying disabled people less than minimum wage is legal in the United States, although several states are phasing out the practice, according to the announcement.

Pennsylvania’s latest program aims to help employees with disabilities achieve CIE, or compensation equal to or greater than the minimum wage and comparable to the usual rate paid to employees without disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The program, Integrated Vocational Engagement & Support Team, is supported by a $14 million federal grant, according to the announcement. KenCrest, a company that provides intellectual and developmental disability services to adults, youth and children, will support the program’s employers based in eastern Pennsylvania, which includes Sheetz.

“By leveraging this $14 million federal grant, we are removing barriers faced by those in lower-wage jobs and empowering them to build fulfilling careers with dignity and respect,” said Nancy A . Walker, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. in the ad.

This isn’t the first time Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz, which operates more than 740 convenience stores in six states, has taken measures to help employees with disabilities.

In 2019, the convenience store launched its Store Team Helper program, which offers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to find meaningful employment within the company. As of last fall, the program helped 20 people find jobs at Sheetz stores in Blair and York counties in Pennsylvania, the company said at the time.