\ é ' Atusseneec) wae, , 3 SPRING )987 PAGE 5 8 eet | Local Initiatives Make Employment Of Mentally Handicapped Profitable Is easter for Canadian compa- dies to dnelude mentally handl capped people tn their libriiag phins these days, thanks to a niuyte cat Theatbbe employment projects developed by nou- profit Hroups in communtiies across Lic county. The projects nat only provide employers with mare cost effec. tive ways to lap an underatitized souree ol stable, cathusiastic workers, but alse supply compa. nies with the knowledgeable backup they need to make these hiring programs a success, Local Groups Provide Professional Support From the West Coast to the Atlantic provinces, local support apeneles are matching skilled mentilly handicapped workers with companies’ needs and resources Ininost cases the apenctes will pre-sercen job applicants, supply onthe Joly supervision during training periods and puaranive production quailty, quotas and deadlines. The training and placement programs of these non-profit groupsare usually hinded by Ern- ploy nent and Hiiiation Cana da, Provinehal Gov ent soclal service departments, municipal foverminents ora combination of all three, Day today decision making respensthilily, however, lies famnly in the hands of highly accessthle local agencles. Custom Tallored Work Situations Production work can becarrled out on a compellilve contract basis, on or off the employer's premises, with the assoctiton acting as contractor; Individuals oc small groups can be hired directly by the company, with the sponsoring agency acting as tratnerand consultant The abjec- live In cach case Is lo obtain com: petltive fill thie employment, at standard wages, that will make these workers Independent. B.C.: “Work Statlons in Industry" The term Work Station’ refers toa small proup of two or more tnentally handeapped employees working within a coniparny Six Work Slatlons, employing At Crestwood Farms, a Work Station uiployee receives support and superviston from a supervisor who works fora local non profit service agency. 25 mentally handicapped people in Industrics ranging from elec: tronics assembly to horticulture, were established during the project's first year of operation. Five more have come on siren in the succeeding three months. Horticultural Contract Work Crestwood Farms In Rich- mond, WO. Is a year-round greenhouse bushes eriploy lag alateen people working fall tine In the eornpany’s 80,000 sq. Tl af greenhouse space. Almost twice that number of workers are re- quired during the spring bedding season. ln L98G, Crealwood negotiated a lO.week Work Stations contract with Delta, a BC. support asaocla- lon, The company supplied the necessary tools, equipment and work space, and pald the agency atarale of $4.50 per hour per per: son. The agency provided four workers and a supervisor for the duration of the contract The Association also ad- niinistered wages and benefits to the workers — areal hoon toowner Ralph Fisher, asi relieved his staff of extra paperwork, Subsidized Training Perlods Nexus Engineering is an In- novalive company spectallzing In the research and manufacture of ligh-teeh communications hard- ware. A two-person Work Stitlon In tis Buriby plait is new previa: Ing Nexus with scheduled, consis tent preparation of components used In the assembly of thelr products. Durhape thelr ciphtweek train- Ing perlod, the workers and thelr Liinerisupervisor were funded by Heltish Columblaws for Mentally Handicapped People, the group co-ordinatlag the development of Work Stations’ Initlallves prov- Ince wide. Work Statlon members are now considered as direct em- ployecs of Nexus; but for the next six months thelr $6.50 per hour salaries will be subsidized on a gradually declining basis by Employment and lnmigration Canada Chough tsa) individual ‘Job subsidization program. Deborah Letain, Nexus’ Hu man Resources Assistant, Is en- thustastic about the services (he company recelved from its local Work Stallona sponsor agency, “They made the program flexible; they made tl possible,” she states, “The technology in our Industry fs always changing, and they've guaranteed they'll step in and help ws out down the road with retralntig” Ontario: Community Vocational Alternatives Three yearsngo, the Mississat- fa Commonity Living Assocta- Hon lanached a strong til to move mentally handleapped workers Into the regular work force. Its. program, Community Vocational Allernalives, chose to provide employees’ wages during thelr training perlods in order to encourage companies to partiel- pate In the project. CVA also sct up a thorough review procedure to gulde employees, employers and supervisors during tratuing and Initial periods of direct cimploy- ment. The review identifies just how much supervision workers require, assesses thelr abilities to Interact well with co-workers, monttors their Job satisiaction levels and discusses environmen- tal conditlons of the Job. Over forty Individuals are naw gainfully employed Uroughout the community tna range of Job functions which Include clerical. warehousing and hospital duties. One person ts an alhietics assts- tantatalocal college. The workers earn between $4.95 lo $10.40 per hour and are reparded as asscls by thelr respective companies, P.E.1.: Tremploy Incorporated In its 18 manths of operations, this Charlottetown-based non profit organization has found productive work for 21 people. ‘The jobs they perform include car- penter’s helper, art teacher's as: sistant wilh the Confederation Centre ArtGullery, forist’s worker and laboratory assistant. “We use three crilerla when largeling job opportunities for the peaple we represent.” says Brian Landry, Tremploy's Execullye Director. “Is the Job Integrated, will the mentally handicapped employee work and Interact wilh non-handicapped workers? Is the work meaningful? Will the work. ers be pald Industry standard wapes? Ifthe job situation dorsn't meet al least lwo of these require- ments, It won't allow our clients to reach their full potential.” Tremploy provides one-on-one (ralning supervision lor cach em: ployee the apenucy places. After the tritulng period is completed, Tremploy monitors progress weekly and will supply ougolng support and liaison services for as long.as (he worker remains an employee of the company. The abilities of Temploy’s mentally-handicapped ellents to learn (heir duties quickly, per form well and Jnterwct socially with thelr non-handicapped co workers have astonished even thase who've spectalized in sup- port for the mentally handl- capped, Tremploy's Hrlan Landry sums Lup. “Supported Job place: ment is workable for more people than we ever thought possible.” These local programs, with thelr unprecedented levels of knowledpeable support for en ployers, will help ensure that the reliability, enthusiasm and strong, motivation of these capable Cana- Continued on page 6 At Nexus Engineering, Work Statlon employees recelved tralning through a local support agency. Profits: : Cannel