Creating Employment Opportunities for Adults of All Abilities

The Vanguard Academy is paving the way for adults with special needs to have more access and opportunities for guaranteed internships and possible employment in a variety of sectors in and outside the Metro.

To date, the school’s Transcend Internship Program has formalized partnerships with 20 companies from a variety of industries and deployed 12 interns with 8 job coaches.

20 Partner Companies:

Food and Beverages: Assembly Hall, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Meat Plus Café,  Sunrise Buckets, and My Girl Milk Tea and Coffee

Professional Services: Balara Content Studio,  Chestknots, and Kings Groups of Companies

Hotel and Leisure: Le Charmé Suites and Café, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

Retail Services: Beyond Flowers by Sabrina, Big Bad Wolf Books, Intech Group Innovations Corp., and Mumuso

Social Services: Ayala Foundation, Inc., Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc., and JCI Philippines

Digital Marketing: SVEN Information Technology: IBM Banking and Finance: Chailease Berjaya Finance Corp. The school aims to grow this list to more than 30 by the end of May 2023 and to 200 by May 2027.

There’s been a remarkable increase in interest and commitment from company owners and top-level managers to create more inclusive work environments. The Vanguard Academy is working closely with the partner companies to ensure both the adults with special needs and their staff have meaningful and successful workplace immersion experiences.

Essential to the program's success are the trained and experienced job coaches, highly equipped and well-prepared interns, sensitivity and on-going training for the staff, and alignment of the partner companies with the school’s mission to “empower individuals of all abilities by developing their capacities and celebrating what makes each one unique.”

Since the launch of the Transcend Internship Program, two interns have been offered full-time employment contracts by two partner companies.

If you would like to be a part of The Vanguard Academy’s Transcend Internship Program, as an intern with special needs or as a company owner or manager, you may contact the program’s Co-Directors, Bernadette Emperado or Chryslin Laohoo, at bernadette.emperado@vanguard.edu.ph or chryslin.laohoo@vanguard.edu.ph.