Progress Industries celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Expect. Employ. Empower. Those three words are used as the theme for the 2014 National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Progress Industries of Newton along with many employers in the community are participating in the annual awareness campaign to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the contribution of workers with disabilities.

At Progress Industries, every person comes in at a different readiness level. It is the job of the employment consultant to help identify if the person is ready for a job, if they are even thinking they might want a job or if they even know that having a job is an option.

“Everybody starts out with an intake process here when they first come. Then we decide if they are ready to look for a job or not. Then they come to us, job coaches,” Debbie Schwarz, Employment Consultant at Progress Industries.

Once a person decides that they want to get a job, the employment consultant begins the discovery process which identifies what their likes and dislikes are, their skills and what their comfort level is in a job setting. Career exploration is offered through classes at Progress Industries and as a part of those classes, the person can visit an employer as well as job shadow.

The next step is for the person to participate in a community based assessment. In this process, the employment consultant will learn how dependable the person is, will they be on time to the job and how well are they applying their skills. They do this through two, three hour and one, four hour work days.

“We do try to match them up with their interest, what do they like to do, and sometimes they will find out they like things they didn’t even know they did. We try to match them up in a job that we think is something they are going to like,” Schwarz said.

No two people are alike and every journey is different for those who go to Progress Industries. Some individuals go through many steps to get to an eventual job while others move more quickly in finding placement. Once in a job, the career *** stays with the person to help manage any issues that may arise and be a mediator for the employer and the employee.

“If there is an issue all you have to do it call me and I will help you work it out. Over the last 20 years, we have developed great relationships with certain employers here in town. They even now call us when they have job openings,” Schwarz said.

An employer that has worked with Progress Industries for several years is Walgreens. Store Manager Jay Porter, who has worked at several other Walgreens, said that he has always had very good experience working with programs like those at Progress Industries and that he is always willing to help in any way he can.

“I’m very passionate about it, so when I saw they were doing that I was all in, any way that I can help them,” Porter said. “I currently employ three (people from PI) and I’ve had at least a couple dozen others do work experience.”

People who come to work at Walgreens have the same expectations as any other employee and are given responsibilities to suit their skills.

“It depends a little bit on skill level. I have one person that is primarily responsible for helping stock shelves and checking out dates. I’ve got another guy who works full time just helping stock and working the stock room and another one who works the register,” Porter said. Porter does not have any extra hours for employees that may have a disability, he has to fit them into the hours he has available. Because of the willingness and eagerness of the employees that work with PI, Porter works with the hours he does have to get them experience.

“They always fit right in. They are much more excited to be at work. They get passed over for jobs sometimes because people don’t want to give them a change. When we do give them a chance they are much more engaged. I think they are going to be a long term employee for anybody because they are just so happy to have a job,” Porter said. “They tend to make a lot better employees. They almost never call in, they don’t complain about having to work. I have one guy, Jon, he works every Sunday at six in the morning, never complains about it. I don’t have to worry about whether he is going to be here or whether he is going to do a good job,” Porter said. Jon Stanzyk, who was a part of PI, has worked at Walgreens for two years stocking shelves, helping unload the truck and working the register. It is the first job that he has ever had.

“Jon is a great example. I kind of brought him on, I had 10 extra hours a week, I’m sure I can squeeze him in. Christmas time I’ve got him working 40 hours a week. We were able to teach him how to run the register so he can jump in and help if we get backed up,” Porter said. Through work, employees start to build relationships with their co-workers and participate in events outside of work.

“A lot of our people that work in the community, they’re developing relationship with their co-workers. That is very important, too, for us that they are developing relationships with them. They not only see them at work, they are getting invited out to go do things with them. That has happened with quite a few of our people and it is really great,” Schwarz said. Porter said that several of his employees have been active in community events such as fundraisers for Relay for Life.

Contact Staff Writer Jamee A. Pierson at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com.