It is time to announce the quarterly winner of the *BeBrilliant Awards program. This quarter has once again seen a myriad of outstanding nominees from across the length and breadth of North America. It never ceases to impress the judging panel that irrespective of where nominees are located, they all share a common set of values and a commitment to service excellence that they bring to their sites every single day. It is the backbone of our thriving CleanMark Community.
It gives us an immense amount of pride and pleasure to bestow this quarter’s award on an individual who has made it her mission to help people with learning and mental health challenges find a place working here at CleanMark.
*BeBrilliant Quarterly Award Winner: Michelle Dickison
Please join us in congratulating Michelle Dickison, one of six Territory Managers covering Central Canada, whose work in conjunction with the Employment Assistance Resource Network (EARN) and more recently, Agilec has helped to create job opportunities at CleanMark for people facing mental health challenges in Kawartha and Northumberland County.
EARN while you learn
It was Michelle’s husband who first introduced her to the great work being undertaken by EARN. In short, EARN creates inclusive workplaces by helping and supporting employers to recruit, hire and retain individuals with disabilities. The work of the organization resonated with Michelle as she had seen-first hand how a close friend had been discriminated against in their workplace following a bout of severe depression.
“Mental health still has a significant stigma attached to it, especially at work,” explains Michelle. “Yet it afflicts so many people from all walks of life. It doesn’t discriminate against who it chooses to affect, so why should we discriminate against people who are affected. After hearing about the work of EARN, I figured ‘why not?’ I felt that I needed to help, so I did.”
Fast forward two years and CleanMark has successfully placed 10 employees through the EARN scheme. Working with CleanMark and the EARN trainers, new employees receive hands-on intensive coaching. Michelle supports where possible. For example, if reading is an issue, Michelle works with the EARN team to create a scope of work as a visual aid, rather than in a typed format.
Agilec
Bolstered by the success of her relationship with EARN, Michelle has more recently created a partnership with Agilec – a similar organization covering a different geographic area. She has been working with their team since September 2016 and has already managed to place two new members of staff in Kawartha. A number she hopes to build on shortly.
“Whenever CleanMark requires new employees, I typically know from past experience if it is a role suited to one of the two schemes,” says Michelle. “And there is nothing more rewarding than when we’re in a position to offer meaningful employment to a person facing a mental health challenge or learning difference. It changes people’s lives and it’s great to be a part of that.”
In addition to the heartfelt thanks from people she has helped to place and the whole of the CleanMark community, Michelle will be receiving $100 in recognition of her award.
About CleanMark Group Inc.:
CleanMark services facilities brilliantly. It does so at thousands of sites every day – at a regional and national level – implementing sector-specific expertise to address the needs of retail, education, cinema and auditorium, corporate office, health and wellness, hospitality and leisure, and automotive environments. Its success as a company and as a corporate partner is built on the delivery of a smart, personal, service built on innovative solutions, exceptional talent and operational excellence. CleanMark has been successfully providing industry-leading facility services for over 25 years and strives to be North America’s premier provider.
