UPS managers visit these agencies, establish hiring goals and objectives, conduct mock interviews and job readiness workshops. Since 1997, UPS has hired almost 4000 former welfare recipients. To ease the transition from welfare to work, new hires at UPS are assigned a mentor that helps them through their first 90 days of work.
Mentors help the new employees learn time management and basic job etiquette skills.
The UPS hub in Hodgkins, Illinois has also partnered with the local bus system and with the Chicago public schools to bring employees from the city to their jobs in this Chicago suburb. The transit partnership has been very successful, serving almost one-third of the 6500 employees at the Hodgkins facility. In collaboration with the Workforce Partnership, UPS participates in job fairs for welfare recipients every month in different areas of San Diego , the most recent of which drew more than 300 people. UPS has also established a strong relationship with the San Diego Urban League. In addition, UPS has donated 20 computers to the Urban League to assist in training welfare recipients.