Eight hires this spring, and an interview process built for our students

SSA Group at Zoo Atlanta has been a long-term partner for the Atlanta Bridges program. This spring, they hired eight Bridges students, all in the same window, all currently working.

What sets the partnership apart is the operational work SSA Group does on its end. Their team has trained alongside Bridges to learn how to support our participants in the workplace. They've stayed patient with training. They've stayed flexible with scheduling. They've taken the time to learn each student's individual needs.

This year, SSA Group implemented a separate interview process specifically for Bridges participants, a setting designed to let students feel more comfortable, more confident, and able to show what they actually bring to the role. Confidence went up. Success rates went up. Several students from past cohorts have stayed past Bridges retention into year-round employment.

And the partnership is expanding. SSA Group recently took over operations at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum in downtown Atlanta, and immediately hired two Bridges participants into roles there.

Eight new hires in one season. Two more at a new venue. An interview process designed around Bridges participants.