DE Talk | Using Employment Networks to Connect with Individuals with Disabilities in an Ever-Changing Workforce

With an unemployment rate nearly twice that of the national average, individuals with disabilities continue to face barriers to employment that prevent them from sharing their unique skills and talents with the workforce. In this episode we sit down with EmployReward Solutions Project Director Tripp Carter for a discussion on employment networks — what they are, how employers can connect with them, and how they can benefit from their services. Tripp also shares success stories of how DirectEmployers Members have found success in working with EmployReward Solutions, and offers humbling advice on how to create inclusive and accommodating hiring programs that attract and retain talent within the disability community.

About DE Talk

For DirectEmployers, it’s all about valuable connections and meaningful conversations. This monthly podcast features honest and open dialogue between powerhouse industry experts on a variety of HR topics ranging from OFCCP compliance advice to emerging recruitment marketing trends, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and insightful solutions that help infuse new life into your HR strategies.

Episode Interviewer

Episode Guest

Episode Transcript

DirectEmployers (00:00):

Get ready. The DE Talk podcast starts now, insightful conversations and dialogue helping you put the human factor back in HR.

Shannon Offord (00:08):

More individuals with disabilities have joined the workforce than ever before. Thanks in large part, to the flexibility of remote and hybrid work environments created during the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite this progress, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities remains stubbornly high nearly twice the national average. Why is this the case? Is it barriers to employment, lingering stereotypes, or simply a matter of connecting with the right partners to support inclusive hiring? At DirectEmployers, we pride ourselves on strong industry connections that promote disability inclusion in the workplace. Today I’m excited to welcome Tripp Carter from EmployReward Solutions, a National Employment Network that’s transforming lives through personalized career counseling and support for individuals using the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program. Welcome to the DE Talk podcast Tripp.

(01:06):

Let’s set the stage for our listeners. Can you share a little bit about your background?

Tripp Carter (01:12):

Sure. Well, I graduated in 2008 with a degree in fine arts and mass communications, and at that time my intentions were to pursue a career in higher education and student affairs. However, like many, the recession in 2008 also hit and I had to quickly pivot from a career in higher ed due to hiring freezes and layoffs and ended up relocating back home. I found a opening in customer relations and that’s where I started. After spending some time working with consumers and account management, I decided I wanted to get back to my original goal of somehow serving others, which led me to EmployReward Solutions. I’ve been with the company since it started in 2010 and was within the first five employees to be hired and start with the organization. Since then, we’ve worked diligently to build everything from the ground up and in 2012 we became an approved National Employment Network for the Ticket to Work program.

Shannon Offord (02:18):

Very nice. You and I actually share the same major. I was a mass communication major as well. Just went into, we had actually more PR though

Tripp Carter (02:29):

I was in IT for design and really mostly design at the time. The program that I was in was evolving into more of a jack of all trades. They wanted somebody that could write the content beyond camera and produce the layout at the same time, and it wasn’t quite where I was comfortable being at that time. So I decided actually through my college experience, decided I wanted to get more involved in higher education and student affairs and help students who may be struggling with the transition into secondary education after leaving high school.

Shannon Offord (03:17):

So you said you wanted to move home, so where’s home?

Tripp Carter (03:21):

I live in Florence, South Carolina. Grew up in a small town nearby called Johnsonville. When I went to school, I was actually living over in the Aiken Augusta area when I was pursuing my degree at USC Aiken.

Shannon Offord (03:36):

Oh, nice. So how did you specifically get to EmployReward Solutions? What made you decide to go there?

Tripp Carter (03:45):

A leap of faith. I was really close to the owners of Spherion Staffing. They operated a branch here in Florence for a number of years. They actually, when I moved back home, they helped me land my customer relations position. They knew I had grown about as far as I could within that role and that I was open to exploring other opportunities and they actually reached out to me while I was on vacation to let me know that a new company was getting started in Florence that helped people with disabilities and they had one opportunity to refer a candidate and if I was interested, they would love to take a chance on referring me for an interview. So I dove right in, I said, sure, let’s do it. I interviewed for the position a few days later following that was probably around Tuesday, I believe. By Friday I got called back with an offer of employment and the rest is kind of history. From there. About less than a month later I started working here.

Shannon Offord (05:05):

So I guess that worked out for both of you for Employee Reward and for you?

Tripp Carter (05:09):

Absolutely. It’s amazing to think about how much our organization has grown in 14 years, and I get teased a little bit because around this time of year I do kind of reflect a little bit about how big this organization has grown. When we started, there was a lot we did not know about Ticket to Work and working in the space of serving people with disabilities. But we’ve learned a tremendous amount through partnerships and networking that have helped us really step up and grow with the program, which is one of the goals that Social Security has for Ticket is to see the program grow at a successful rate and have successful outcomes of people returning to work.

Shannon Offord (06:05):

Nice. So I know there’s a lot of employment networks out there and we’ll talk a little bit more about employment networks later, but what sets EmployReward Solutions apart from some of the other ENs or employment networks that are out there?

Tripp Carter (06:21):

Well, it all goes back to our roots, Shannon. I think part of it has to do with how we structured our organization from the beginning. We were one of the first organizations to operate a call center model at that time when we were first getting started, the individuals who answered the phone when you called us did everything. They did the marketing, they did the enrollment, they did the case management. And as our organization has grown over the years, we’ve actually broken up into several departments. Key to that are the career development specialists to answer your questions about the Ticket program and help you determine if the program is ultimately a good fit for you. They also complete the individual work plan, which is required to enroll somebody in Ticket to Work. From there, you have our benefit specialists who are trained and certified by Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell University.

(07:19):

They review all aspects of the benefits that a beneficiary is receiving from state and federal programs, and it helps them, the beneficiary determine how returning to work will impact those benefits, and when. The other blessing, I guess with this is they also assist in situations where an overpayment of benefits can occur. So if a beneficiary returns to work and their information’s not properly updated or timely with Social Security, they may run into a situation where an overpayment is issued and the benefit specialist are thoroughly trained on helping a beneficiary understand what’s happened and why and explore their options for either repayment or if they’re going to dispute that overpayment, what the dispute options are. Last but not least, we have our career coaches who take that individual work plan and run with it. They’re the cheerleader and the coach rolled into one and they’re here to provide support to the beneficiary, whether it’s identifying career opportunities and preparing for success or providing encouragement and support if a setback occurs. And then one thing I do want to add there is I think outside of our operational model, what else sets us apart is truly the fact that we put heart into what we do. Our staff show up every day with the intention of being the hope that helps and we pride ourselves on doing so

Shannon Offord (08:53):

Well. I know that I’ve been at DirectEmployers quite a long time and we’ve actually talked to some folks about employment networks, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of knowledge by many of employers as to what an employment network actually is and how it actually can help them with bringing qualified individuals into their organization. So can you talk a little bit more about exactly what an employment network is and the role they play in the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program?

Tripp Carter (09:28):

Absolutely. Employment networks, they are public and or private organizations who have a contract with Social Security to provide employment services to people with disabilities through the Ticket to Work program. There’s a standard core set of services that you agree to provide under your contract, but beyond that, you can vary into other areas. In addition, you’re going to have ENs of various sizes in terms of the number of staff they have, the number of beneficiaries they serve as well as I said, the additional services they may offer outside of what’s required in our contract. But to give you an idea of some of the services an EN may offer, they may do job placement, career counseling, vocational support services, but the ultimate goal is to help these participants find and maintain employment. Some other things I do want to mention that they may also help with are if a beneficiary’s facing specific barriers to employment, whether it’s transportation or housing related, EN’s also try to provide assistance in those realms as well as identify education and training opportunities for those individuals. One thing I will mention about the Ticket to Work program, I do understand there’s a lot that employers don’t hear, but this program is for individuals ages 18 to 64 who are receiving supplemental security income and or Social security disability insurance who are between the ages of 18 and 64. And this program and the services provided to individuals under it are completely free and voluntary.

Shannon Offord (11:12):

So there’s obviously a lot of programs out there that help individuals with disabilities find employment. Obviously you’ve got voc rehab and others. How do employment networks differ from, let’s say, vocational rehabilitation services? How is it different? Is it set up, how are they joints or do they work together or how does that all work?

Tripp Carter (11:43):

That’s a great question. So EN’s focus more on helping individuals with disabilities. You do have to be a recipient of SSI or SSDI benefits to be eligible for the Ticket to Work program. ENs can offer some other vocational services, but typically vocational services are provided under the vocational rehabilitation program in each state. These are state run. They provide comprehensive short-term services. ENs typically offer the long-term support and employment retention services that a beneficiary may be looking for after they obtain a job.

Shannon Offord (12:25):

You mentioned the fact that ENs help with some of the retention aspects around employment. How do those services work?

Tripp Carter (12:36):

EN’s and VRs work together. There is a component of the ticket program called Partnership Plus where an individual may initially start in the ticket program under a VR, a vocational rehabilitation program, and that vocational rehabilitation program may have a contract in place with specific employment networks so that once the person has obtained a job and maintained it for a period of 90 days, voc rehab may transfer that assignment to an employment network for the retention services, if that makes sense.

Shannon Offord (13:14):

Wow. Perfect. Given that employment networks are part of the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program, I want to give our listeners more or context here. How does the Ticket to Work program work in conjunction with employment networks to help individuals with disabilities transition into the workforce?

Tripp Carter (13:32):

Well, we operate strictly under the Ticket to Work program. There are employment networks that may have their hands in multiple state and federal programs, particularly in this case, ERS. We operate solely under the Ticket program, but I will say in general, Ticket to Work allows beneficiaries to receive the free employment services of their choice. Once they’re enrolled in the program, they work with the employment network to develop a plan for achieving self-sustaining employment. The end then helps them overcome those barriers, whether it’s finding jobs that match their skills, it could be involving navigating workplace accommodations and helping them and the employer understand what needs to fall into place for this individual to be gainfully employed as well as managing their benefits as they transition back into the workforce. A huge component outside of navigating workplace accommodations is going to be understanding what happens to your SSI or SSDI benefits or even your medical coverage as you get a job, whether it’s initially within the first nine months or it’s long-term in a three to five year window. We’re hoping that through Ticket to Work, we’re setting these individuals up to reach a point of self-sufficiency where they’re able to not have to rely on SSI or SSDI any further that they’re able to have self-sustaining employment. But it’s important to monitor those benefits as they progress through the program and be able to rapid fire respond on, well, this is what’s coming next, and are you prepared for it? If not, we need to work with your EN or your case manager to prepare for what comes next.

Shannon Offord (15:34):

So I know you talked a little bit about some of the eligibility requirements and then you mentioned 18 to 64 as far as age and that they must be receiving SSI benefits currently. Are there other eligibility requirements to participate in the Ticket to Work program?

Tripp Carter (15:58):

Generally, no. You do want to make sure you’re actively receiving a benefit check and that you do not have an overpayment on file. With Social Security, there could be an issue there, especially if you’ve had a previous work attempt while receiving benefits, and if you did not report it to Social Security at that time, there could be a potential issue with the beneficiary’s record that might prevent them from being assigned to an employment network at that time. But generally we tell people it’s 18 to 64 and you’re receiving one benefit or the other. Or in some cases it may get both.

Shannon Offord (16:42):

And I know we talked a little bit about this as well, but how do employment networks really measure success with helping individuals secure long-term employment? I know if I’m not mistaken, there’s a 90 day requirement or something like that. Is there, can you talk a little bit more about that part?

Tripp Carter (17:01):

As far as success goes? Typically I would say success is measured by job placements, the number of beneficiaries that successfully go back to work, how many sustain employment, and most importantly, how many of these individuals are able to reduce their dependency on benefits. I would say that EN’s track a number of different, I don’t want to say key performance indicators, I’m trying to think of a better word for that, but we are actively looking to see what percent of our client base returns to work, how long does it take for them to return to work? Do they return to work at levels that are sustainable per the program requirements? And even how many people successfully complete the program, which typically is a three to five year period. So we watch to see how many reach a point where they’ve stopped their benefits long term for long enough that SSA considers them graduated, for lack of a better word. There are also milestones, phases, and milestones within the program that, I guess an employment network, since we can’t charge a beneficiary for the services and supports we provide when they do meet certain phases and milestones, then SSA does allow the employment network to receive a stipend for the services they’ve provided those individuals. So we do monitor, are they performing at certain levels and how long before we’re able to request that stipend for the work we’ve provided.

Shannon Offord (18:55):

Do you have any idea of the number of people who go through the Ticket to Work program annually?

Tripp Carter (19:02):

Not offhand. I know on ERS’ roll books on a monthly basis, we probably, I would say between 50 and a 100 maybe. But again, that’s over a three to five year period once somebody’s enrolled in the Ticket to Work program. So that number I’m sure fluctuates. And it also depends largely on what type of job we are successful in helping place somebody in, again, are they meeting the programmatic thresholds for their earnings to be considered gainfully employed. There’s a lot of different factors that SSA looks at. It’s not just about getting someone a job or even getting ’em a part-time job. It’s about that long-term sustainable employment,

Shannon Offord (20:05):

Really talking about there’s a lot of individuals who go through the Ticket to Work program annually across the country. So it’s not an insignificant amount of, from a number standpoint, it’s not just a few people. I mean, there’s a lot of people going through this program.

Tripp Carter (20:22):

Absolutely.

Shannon Offord (20:24):

So kind of as part of that, let’s get into how employers can connect and benefit from employment networks. What’s the best way for an employee, for an employer to engage with an EN to find qualified candidates with disabilities?

Tripp Carter (20:43):

So there are several ways that an employer can engage with an employment network. I have a few different resources I would love to share.

Shannon Offord (20:56):

Yeah, please.

Tripp Carter (20:56):

Number one, you have the Ticket to Work website, which is choosework.ssa.gov. If you go to the,

Shannon Offord (21:03):

Can you repeat that just real quick? I want to make sure everybody gets that.

Tripp Carter (21:06):

Yes, it’s choosework.sa.gov and if you click on the Find Help tool, you will find a listing of VR, voc rehab programs, employment networks, American Jobs Centers, and More that are all contracted by SSA to provide services under the Ticket to Work program. That is the same listing that SSA keeps up to date for beneficiaries who are curious about returning to work to get more information. Another tool, I know that DirectEmployers shares this, but the PRM tool provided by DirectEmployers, there are employment networks in there, and last but not least, there is the National Employment Network Association, which is a nonprofit made up of employment networks, vocational rehabilitation agencies, American Job Centers, independent living centers and more. NENA is a great resource as well for connecting with organizations who serve Ticket to Work participants. In addition, they do also host an annual membership conference each year. I know they love to explore opportunities to connect with employers and share that with their membership as well as the clients that they serve.

Shannon Offord (22:32):

I know you mentioned the NENA Conference. I is there, and I know you guys just had that conference just a couple of weeks ago, and I know that I would love personally for more employers to go there to that event. What’s the best way for employers to find out more about that event for the 2025 conference? Is there a NENA website that someone could go to learn more?

Tripp Carter (23:03):

Yes. The website for the National Employment Network Association is NENAticket.org

Shannon Offord (23:14):

And their employment networks from around the country who attend that event that they can network and have outreach with. Correct.

Tripp Carter (23:23):

It is absolutely a great networking event. That’s one of my favorite parts of it outside of the conference sessions is getting to network with other organizations and just sharing best practices on what you’re doing that makes you successful. I think you will find in the ticket to workspace, it’s not about being better than someone else, it’s about rising tide, raising all ships. Everybody’s there to proactively help each other because if we’re all successful in this program and the beneficiaries we serve, then the program is successful.

Shannon Offord (24:02):

And that conference you guys had a few weeks ago was in Kansas City, and I hear you guys had a good time there and were able to learn a lot and had some good barbecue too. So I’m a little jealous that I wasn’t able to attend

Tripp Carter (24:16):

Absolutely. And we’re in the throes of planning for next year’s conference already. So

Shannon Offord (24:22):

Do you know where next year’s conference will be?

Tripp Carter (24:25):

Next year will be in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Shannon Offord (24:29):

Nice.

Tripp Carter (24:30):

In September.

Shannon Offord (24:30):

Vegas is always a good town for conferences.

Tripp Carter (24:34):

I’ve never been.

Shannon Offord (24:37):

You’re in for a treat. So what are some of the benefits employers who partner with employment networks to hire individuals with disabilities? What can they, from a benefit standpoint, what are the benefits to employers?

Tripp Carter (24:56):

Well, there’s several that come to mind. Obviously you’re accessing a diverse pool of talent of individuals who want to work you. Also, with that comes the potential for tax incentives such as the work opportunity tax credit. You have access to a knowledge base with an employment network about the Ticket to Work program. Understanding of navigating workplace accommodations and organizations that are dedicated to helping you foster an inclusive workforce, which enhances your company’s reputation, can increase employee retention and just overall contribute to a positive workplace culture. And the one thing I don’t want to miss mentioning is don’t forget the marketing and exposure that can come from working with an employment network. It’s one of my favorite areas to collaborate on with our creative director and our employer partners is how can we market this? We try to be cutting edge and proactive through social media and webinars and texting, email blast, you name it. We try it all. And I think you’ll find, depending on the employment network you work with and you can work with as many as you like. I think you’re going to find a different experience from organization to organization, but there’s also going to be some commonalities in there between what each organization brings to the table.

Shannon Offord (26:37):

A question I get all the time as far as different resources that are out there as far as cost to employers, can you talk a little bit about that?

Tripp Carter (26:46):

So the cost to employers, I believe is really going to depend on the organization you’re trying to partner with. I know with ERS, we don’t charge employers for any of the partnerships that we do. Everything we do basically is free. There’s no contract, there’s no legal documents that you have to give 30 days notice if you want to opt out and so on and so forth. We’re open to just having a genuine one-on-one conversation with an employer about what their needs are, what are their goals, what do they want to accomplish, and our team here is happy to share with you what we’re currently capable of doing. We love to brainstorm on ways to go a step further. We’re always open to that. And really from there, it’s just putting together a plan and executing it. Awesome.

Shannon Offord (27:49):

Can you provide an example of how employers have successfully a worked with employment networks, but not just employment networks, but with you guys specifically?

Tripp Carter (28:02):

So yeah, absolutely. I’ve got two examples that come to mind that are pretty current. We’ve been working with two different employers actually through DirectEmployers. They reached out to us through the PRM tool, one of them being Concentrics that contacted us late last year. We did a brainstorming session with them on how we could potentially work together. And actually back in April of this year, we had several members of their talent acquisition team present a webinar for our client base. We had over 800 job seekers sign up and attend. And shortly after the webinar concluded, they reached back out to me letting me know they had a super high influx of applications and inquiries from job seekers. We did have several clients that got placed in remote customer support roles with them, and they were so excited about that process and being able to get in front of our client base that we were actually having a follow-up webinar with them later this month for the holidays to help them with the holiday hiring season.

(29:18):

And that’s what works with them is these webinars and doing advertising in our monthly newsletter and post on social media. We also do some text with them, and that’s where the momentum’s coming from. And I think another one that I’m really excited about as it’s relatively new is Hilton Worldwide came on board with us earlier this year and asked us to help educate their partnerships team about the Ticket to Work program as they didn’t really know a lot about it, and they were working to educate their properties about the different partnerships that they have access to by being a Hilton property. So we spent some time on several calls doing some training about the Ticket to Work program, and from there they’ve had, I know they’re going property to property with this project, but they’ve had several properties reach out to us about helping fill vacancies in their area.

(30:24):

And actually, while I was on vacation earlier this summer, they had an urgent hiring request come across for some remote positions that were starting in August, and we literally had a week to pivot and do marketing for them and curate a list of candidates to refer back to them, which we did. And we actually had a few people that also stepped into roles with Hilton. So we’re very excited about that, and it’s that type of grassroots effort that gets the momentum going with each of these partnerships. Every last one of them has started out in a small capacity with doing one thing or another, and they just grow from there. I think the key thing about that is being nimble. You also have to be honest and have upfront expectations and make sure that you’re all in agreement and in alignment on those. But from there, just dive in the deep end and see what happens.

Shannon Offord (31:36):

That’s really good advice. What other tips or advice would you give an employer who’s unfamiliar with the Ticket to Work program but interested maybe in getting involved?

Tripp Carter (31:47):

So I would definitely hit up the choosework.ssa.gov website. There’s a lot of great material on there to educate you about the Ticket program. From there, I would start by reaching out to an employment network, maybe one that’s local to your market, or you can reach out to a national organization like Employee Reward Solutions. ENs are equipped to provide employers with an overview of the program and help you understand the benefits as well as guide you through the process of hiring individuals with disabilities. From there, as I mentioned earlier, there’s the National Employment Network Association, and there’s even employer network employment networks that are currently partnered with DirectEmployers that you can find through the PRM tool.

Shannon Offord (32:37):

Thank you. I don’t want to bring this up, but you’ve been at this a while, 16 years actually. So I guess when you start looking at, you look at, you’re like, oh, 16 years is a long time. Can you share some best practices with our listeners around a few different things? And I’ll kind of go through these. What are some best practices for creating inclusive hiring, an inclusive hiring process for individuals with disabilities?

Tripp Carter (33:09):

I think one of the key things with that is making sure that job descriptions are accessible and focused on the essential functions. In addition to that, being open to offering accommodations even during the interview process, making sure hiring managers are trained on disability awareness, and that there is an emphasis on creating an inclusive workplace culture that values diversity. Another thing that I hear frequently from the career coach staff, and I’ve even heard it from some beneficiaries who have been on some of our employer partner webinars. Employers really need to highlight transferable skill sets that they’re willing to consider in lieu of specific training and or experience. That’s a good one. And from a marketing perspective, I would say present some real life examples. I had an employer partner who did a webinar with us wanting to say, back in July or August, they had a young gentleman come on to speak about his experience with growing in the company, which was great.

(34:29):

He’s come a long way in a short amount of time, but some of the older individuals that were on the call felt like the employer was not relevant to them because I guess the marketing we had done around the event left them feeling like it was catered to younger individuals, which is a fair statement to make. So the way we addressed that was I actually got on camera and spoke to the audience to remind them that we all have life experience and we all have transferable skills, and the key thing for them in that situation is to work with their career coach and identify exactly what my transferable skills are and how they relate to these new opportunities that these employers are bringing to the table. But there is room there on the employer side to highlight skill sets that they are willing to consider, not just specific education and training requirements.

Shannon Offord (35:46):

That’s awesome. I think that we talk a lot about at DirectEmployers we talk about how skills-based hiring is so important, and you really just confirmed and just reiterated kind of the same thing that we talk about, but it is awesome hearing you say the same thing that we’re trying to get out to our members. So let’s have a little fun. Now. We’d like to end our podcast with rapid fire questions just to get to know you a little bit better, A little bit away from the seriousness. All right. Favorite fast food restaurant?

Tripp Carter (36:24):

Starbucks.

Shannon Offord (36:24):

Interesting. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard that, but I like

Tripp Carter (36:27):

It. I would consider Starbucks fast food on a good day. I

Shannon Offord (36:32):

Like it. Is that an everyday thing for you?

Tripp Carter (36:36):

It is during the work week, and if I pass one on the weekends, yeah, I usually will end up stopping in for coffee, sir.

Shannon Offord (36:45):

So if you had one do-over to do in life, what would it be?

Tripp Carter (36:51):

Recently, I would say, and this is probably going to sound crazy, but we got to see the Northern Lights again Thursday night for the first time since May. I wish I could have used a better camera setting after spending. I was outside till 3:30 in the morning, and I still got up and came to work the next day, but I was out till 3:30 in the morning with my baby sister shooting photos, and while the colors turned out, absolutely amazing. The focus is off on a lot of the images, but I learned something

Shannon Offord (37:27):

New. That’s pretty, you guys were, I didn’t realize you guys could see ’em that far south, but that’s pretty cool.

Tripp Carter (37:31):

Apparently you could see them all the way down the northern part of Florida. Oh,

Shannon Offord (37:37):

Wow.

Tripp Carter (37:38):

It was definitely something. So we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Shannon Offord (37:42):

Nice. Favorite fall activity?

Tripp Carter (37:46):

Favorite fall activity?

Shannon Offord (37:48):

I mean, you guys do get fall, right?

Tripp Carter (37:50):

Yes.

Shannon Offord (37:51):

I know South Carolina is pretty warm most of the year, but

Tripp Carter (37:53):

Yes, actually it’s going to be in the sixties of the rest of the week after today. Today’s going to be in the eighties.

Shannon Offord (37:57):

Oh, wow.

Tripp Carter (37:59):

Something, a favorite fall activity. I would say going on a hayride, just

Shannon Offord (38:07):

That’s a fun one.

Tripp Carter (38:07):

That’s just outside of Christmas. That’s really the only other season I can think of that you would want to do something like that.

Shannon Offord (38:18):

My wife and I just went to a fall festival on, well, we went to Big Pumpkin Extravaganza down in Louisville on Friday, and then we went to a fall festival. No hayride, but I wish there were. That would’ve been fun on Saturday. Best career advice you’ve received?

Tripp Carter (38:40):

That’s easy, and I still hear it today. It’s be nimble to a certain degree. You have to be nimble in the career space anymore. There’s just not a rigid schedule in a lot of cases anymore. There’s not a, well, there probably still is a rigid workflow depending on the role you do, but in the role I serve at ERS, as I’ve grown with the company, I’ve had to learn, you’ve got to be nimble. There’s always going to be a curve ball, whether it’s something internally with the company, a government policy that has changed, you name it, you’ve got to be able to adapt to that. So yeah, like I said, I still hear that a lot.

Shannon Offord (39:25):

I know you mentioned you were on vacation when they mentioned this position to you, so I’m going to ask this last question. What is your favorite vacation destination

Tripp Carter (39:43):

Based on this year? I would have to say it was Alaska. I went for Labor Day and it was, I’m not going to call it a once in a lifetime experience because I’m bound and determined to go back, but hiking and seeing glaciers and just even going into Canada, which is something I haven’t ever done before, that was an amazing experience for me. There was a lot of beauty that you don’t necessarily see in the lower 48, and there’s a different culture there. People were very friendly. It was just a different environment for somebody who’s grown up in the southeast and hasn’t really traveled outside of the United States, the little bit of time I spent in Canada was amazing. The week basically that I spent in Alaska was worth every moment. So it’s definitely something I want to do again,

Shannon Offord (40:50):

Everyone I’ve talked to that has gone to Alaska has mentioned that’s one of their favorite trips, so you are confirming that it needs to get on my list.

Tripp Carter (41:04):

Well, just do it.That’s what I did.

Shannon Offord (41:05):

You know what? I got to do it. I mean, I keep hearing this and I keep avoiding it, but definitely got to make it happen. But no, thanks trips so much for joining me today and sharing insights on not only ERS, but also on the Ticket to Work Program and also employment networks. I think you’ve shared some really good information that I think will be very valuable to our listeners. What’s the best way for people to get ahold of you if they’d like to learn more about EmployReward Solutions? Or maybe even just pick your brain about employment networks or the Ticket to Work program?

Tripp Carter (41:48):

Well, I guess probably the easiest way to reach me is going to be via email, and I apologize. My email address is, I’m going to have to spell it out letter by letter because it is a little complicated. It’s T Carter at E-M-P-L-O-Y-R-E-W-A-R-D.com. It’s employreward.com. Some people add two E’s at the end, some add er at the end of employee, but it’s employreward.com.

Shannon Offord (42:23):

Well, thank you again for joining us today and for sharing your contact information with our listeners. I hope you get bombarded with people wanting to learn more and helping to put more individual disabilities to work. So thanks again and hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

DirectEmployers (42:40):

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