SAINT ALBANS — Several individuals from SKILLS’ community support programs recently participated in an eight-week long Job Club to help find their path to employment.

Milford Scott and Lori Lefferts shake hands before conducting a mock interview as part of Job Club at SKILLS, Inc. Submitted photo

“At SKILLS, we’re committed to helping people reach their full potential and live as independently as possible. Providing career support is one way we do this, and Job Club has been an enriching and educational experience,” said Lori Lefferts, director of human resources at SKILLS, according to a news release at Jamie Logan at SKILLS Inc.

As part of the Job Club experience, each of the participants met with Lefferts for a mock interview. The interview was in addition to the regular Job Club curriculum, which was developed by the Maine DHHS Office of Aging and Disability Services in collaboration with the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The curriculum is designed to teach people with disabilities about the value of paid employment and to provide them with the tools and resources needed to learn about work, explore their vocational interests, and to develop the soft skills that could lead to successful employment.

Each of the eight Job Club sessions included a corresponding PowerPoint presentation, topical videos, hands-on activities, resources, and tools designed to promote interactive learning.

Among the careers and sectors Job Club participants have expressed interest in are production/manufacturing work, restaurant work, cemetery maintenance and daycare centers.

Job Club is one of several ways in which SKILLS helps individuals on the path to employment. Two staff members of SKILLS recently received certification through the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators to provide employment supports, particularly through the development of validated strategies to meet the diverse employment needs of individuals with disabilities.

Patrick Bagley, team leader of LC Dill Community Supports, and Sherry Wood, team leader of Ervin Community Supports, completed the 40-hour curriculum to earn the certification in late 2022.

SKILLS is now an approved provider of career planning, work support and employment specialist services, and it has begun accepting referrals for these services.

For more information, visit skillsinc.net.

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