First job gives Pittsburgh-area man with disabilities newfound confidence

It's said you never work a day in your life if you love what you do. For some, barriers prevent them from getting the opportunity to work. 

For the past two and a half months, Jack Hartley's routine has followed a rhythm.

"You do the liner, then the pads, then the bag, then the divider," he said about his job task.

He'll go through that process dozens of times, getting boxes together at Grandpa Joe's Robinson Township warehouse. 

"It's actually a very important job," Hartley said while putting the boxes together.

It's his first time in the workforce. Hartley has disabilities and battled mental health problems, but he didn't want that to define him.

"I really, really wanted to find something purposeful," he said.

Through a partnership with Achieva, he's now thriving in his job. It's part of a broader program called Integrated Vocational Engagement and Support Team, or InVEST. It's funded by the state's Department of Labor and Industry and supports people with disabilities getting meaningful jobs.

Hartley works for Grandpa Joe's and is paid a competitive wage.

"Everyone deserves an opportunity to work at a competitive wage. Some of the individuals with disabilities are some of your best employees," Achieva associate director of business services Amber Westwood said.

According to Achieva, they have been partnering with businesses across western Pennsylvania for about 15 years. Hartley is the first employee in this program for Grandpa Joe's. It hopes to expand with more people filling more roles.

"This allowed us to meet those goals while providing meaningful opportunities to individuals," Grandpa Joe's vice president of marketing and brand development, Kate Speer, said.

"It's helped me out," Hartley said about his job.

In the program, Hartley has a job coach who helps with resumes, interviews and settling into the job. The goal is for him and others to be independent at the workplace.

"Seeing them take on independence, acclimate themselves to the workplace, and be motivated to be in the workforce is great, and Jack's been a true success story here," Achieva job coach Jack Doran said, who works with Hartley directly.

With the confidence this job has given Hartley, he now has his eyes on even bigger goals.

"This has just been excellent for me. I'm thinking about going back to school," Hartley said.