Profile of SunTrust´s Award-Winning Programs

From the Department of Labor, New Freedom Initiative Award Web Site

SunTrust Bank has developed a multi-faceted program that demonstrates a corporate commitment to people with disabilities. The program includes a Disability Resource Center to increase employees´ access to assistive technology, innovative hiring practices, and improved retention and advancement strategies for people with disabilities. The Resource Center has oversight responsibility for a vast number of programs and resources, including a centralized accommodations budget, internship sponsorship program, mentoring day, and other activities specifically designed to raise awareness of the business case for hiring and retaining workers with disabilities.

SunTrust has also devoted a full-time position to establishing partnerships within the SunTrust impression, as well as led the effort to develop a national volunteer organization to educate employers about hiring and marketing their job opportunities to people with disabilities. Evidence of corporate commitment is on the company´s Accessing Community Talent (ACT) intranet site. ACT is designed to encourage managers to attract non-traditional qualified applicants who are not typically recruited by corporate human resource departments.

The bank´s active leadership of Business Leadership Networks in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Maryland and the District of Columbia has resulted in the successful employment and retention of more than 160 individuals with disabilities. Further, SunTrust took an active role in the creation of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and provided one of its senior executives to serve as Chairperson to guide the USBLN to non-profit status, establish by-laws and chapter guidelines, and develop an accessible web site.

In Virginia, SunTrust has taken the lead in developing an Employer Tool Kit for work incentives specific to the Medicaid Buy-in. This web-based tool helps to educate employers on how people with disabilities can increase their employment without losing valuable Medicaid benefits. This tool is available not only to SunTrust managers, but also to USBLN members. The bank has also initiated the Assistive Technology Load Fund Authority in Virginia, which leverages state dollars with bank funds to provide favorable loan terms and finance rates for people with disabilities, as well as for employers who hire and advance people with disabilities.

A national sponsor of National Disability Mentoring Day, the banks hosted 183 youth with disabilities in 2003, several of whom ultimately became bank employees. In addition, SunTrust has volunteered to operate a pilot program expanding ODEP´s Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) into the private sector.