Employment Services
Employment Services
Embrace personalized job coaching, tailored job placement, and sustainable career paths across Central Pennsylvania at Skills of Central PA.
Everybody deserves the chance to find meaningful employment, feel valued within their community, and gain financial independence, regardless of mental, developmental, or intellectual limitations.
Skills’ employment services connect employers and individuals with developmental, intellectual, and mental health challenges. We assist our clients in matching their personal strengths and skills with real-world jobs and then supporting them through the various stages of their careers.
Understanding the Difference: Employment Services vs. Vocational Training
Skills of Central PA already provides vocational training, so what makes employment services different? Both models are designed to help individuals succeed in the workforce, but they differ in their approaches and goals.
Vocational training often starts with tests to identify someone’s interests and then focuses on building technical skills and earning certifications before the job hunt begins.
Employment services dive into the next steps, with a focus on finding gainful employment that offers competitive wages and provides training in real-world settings. Expect employment services to:
Match the client’s strengths to jobs within the community.
Help prepare for interviews and secure a suitable job.
Provide on-the-job job coaching within a real-world business setting.
Offer ongoing support for job retention and promotions.
The Benefits of Real-World Placement
Vocational training focuses on teaching skills in classrooms or other isolated settings. Employment services focus on bringing clients into the real world, providing the best possible hands-on training. It also requires the person to have a level of suitable skills.
Within this arrangement, there are a number of benefits to be gained from real-world placement.
Avoid a gap between learning skills and putting them to use in the workplace environment.
Easier to adapt to workplace routines.
Get to know the team dynamics from the start.
Receive a competitive wage from day one.
Work with a professional job coach to build and enhance skills.
Our Comprehensive Employment Services Are Customized to Clients’ Abilities and Needs
What’s important to us also helps ensure our employment services work effectively for our clients. Our programs are person-centered and are customized to people’s specific abilities and needs. Our individualized approach ensures that our clients’ placements benefit both their need for long-term employment and the employer’s needs.
When an agency doesn’t put this type of care into the work arrangement, it’s wasted time that frustrates our clients and community employers. That’s why we put so much care into creating placements that are a lasting match for both the employee and the employer.
Our clients matter. That’s why our employment services cover several areas.
Job Discovery and Career Assessment
The client starts with skills that are vital in today’s workplace, but those skills aren’t suitable for every career. We take the time to explore your strengths and personal preferences and help you discover jobs that align with those precise skills and interests.
Comprehensive practical skill and personal trait assessments.
Exploration of community industries and employment options that match those skills and traits.
Foundation of a comprehensive employment services program for the team to follow and monitor your progress.
Applications, Resumes, and Interviews
Once a client finds appealing jobs that match their skills and traits, it’s time to build a resume and fill out applications. Our team helps with that process and also provides assistance with cover letters when they’re required.
After hearing back from employers, the next step is to schedule interviews. They guide clients through that process and run practice interviews to boost confidence and familiarize them with what to expect.
Finally, if there’s a formal job offer, job coaches help clients request any necessary work accommodations and ensure the wages are competitive.
Real-World, On-the-Job Coaching
After securing a job, the individual isn’t left to navigate the first days without support. A Skills employment specialist accompanies the new worker to the place of business. They work with the client to ensure the client understands their job duties and completes tasks as expected.
This support helps ensure that communication between the client, management, and coworkers goes well. If tools like checklists or alarm reminders aid with the required work, the job coach can help set them up. This helps boost the individual’s independence as familiarity with the job and the people at work increases.
Job Retention and Long-Term Success
Clients aren’t left on their own after managing daily routines on their own. The employment services program provides continued check-ins for as long as requested. To ensure long-term success, job coaches offer:
Assistance working out new transportation options and routes if anything changes.
Check-ins with employers to see if anything could be improved.
Regular performance reviews.
Retraining options as job duties change.
We Partner With Community Employers
Success relies on supportive, inclusive workplaces. Skills of Central PA partners with local businesses across a variety of sectors, including administration, customer service, retail, and manufacturing. When they help shape what the role entails and which job duties are essential, they drive the employment services program’s success.
Our community business partners gain:
Free on-site job coaching that ensures the new employee learns exactly what you need without other workers having to drop everything to help.
Positivity from workers who are eager to come to the business and do their best every day, which boosts workplace morale.
Pre-screened employees who are dependable and eager to become part of the industry.
Reduced turnover because employees are already screened and have on-site employment specialists to ensure they do things as expected.
Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) are available to qualifying businesses.
Connect With Us
Skills of Central PA provides employment services in the following counties:
Bedford County
Blair County
Cambria County
Centre County
Clinton County
Huntingdon County
Indiana County
Lycoming County
Somerset County
Whether you are seeking a job opportunity, helping a family member explore their career options, or looking for qualified workers for your business, we can help. Reach us today to learn more or get answers to your questions.