OfficeMax launches diversity hiring initiative

Boca Raton, Fla. – As part of its “Maxing Out Diversity” program, OfficeMax is partnering with healthcare company ViaQuest to develop a work-training facility and direct employment program to prepare veterans and people with disabilities for job opportunities at Ohio-based OfficeMax locations. The program, which will launch in summer 2014, is similar to those that OfficeMax has initiated in Alabama, Illinois, and Nevada.



The partnership, facilitated through a two-year grant from Kessler Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rehabilitation research and funding disability employment initiatives, will use a real-world work environment and specialized curriculum to train people with disabilities for careers within OfficeMax’s distribution and retail centers. ViaQuest also has connected with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the statewide agency for employment and rehabilitation services, to identify potential participants for the OfficeMax training program.



“Our partnership with OfficeMax is a testament to how we’re expanding our circle of care to provide more opportunities for individuals to secure private-sector employment,” said Rich Johnson, CEO of ViaQuest. “At the same time, we’re well positioned to help companies such as OfficeMax reach their diversity and inclusion goals.”