| |
Vocational Guidance Services (VGS) changes lives and
communities with services that enhance
personal abilities, break down barriers to employment and help individuals
realize their potential.
VGS has become a national leader
in helping individuals realize brighter futures by providing a variety
of services each year to over 5,000 individuals with physical or mental
disabilities, economic disadvantages, and/or histories of
incarceration. A comprehensive range of services including evaluation,
work adjustment, training, and placement is available to community
members receiving assistance from VGS.
As a prudent financial steward, VGS leverages
philanthropic dollars with its own revenue-generating endeavors built
out of collaborative partnerships and public and private contract
opportunities. These activities enable the agency, each day, to
provide paid work experiences for nearly 1,000 individuals engaged in
"learning while earning" activities.
From 1890 to the present, VGS has 117 years of
dedicated experience serving persons with disabilities. VGS has grown
into one of the highly acclaimed and most successful private,
not-for-profit vocational rehabilitation agencies in the State of Ohio.
Extremely well respected, Vocational Guidance
Services was one of the first organizations to receive accreditation by
the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, currently
known as CARF International, the Rehabilitation Accreditation
Commission. Recently, VGS was the first agency ever to receive its
fourteenth consecutive three year (maximum) CARF accreditation.
VGS is also accredited as a postsecondary
school by the North Central Association (NCA), the Commission on
Accreditation and School Improvement, and is also registered as a
Proprietary School in the State of Ohio (State Board of Proprietary
School Registration Certificate # 79-10-0671T).
VGS is proud to hold the distinction of
placing more people into jobs then any other private, not-for-profit
agency in Ohio. Each year the agency supports this exceptional track
record by directly placing more then 1,000 people in jobs. This work
has a measurable impact on the economy. When wages earned, taxes paid
and welfare dollars saved are considered, VGS has an economic impact on
the community of more than $20 million dollars each year.
 Evaluation and Assessment
services help participants explore options and identify
immediate and long-term vocational goals. During the evaluation process
vocational interests, aptitudes, strengths and limitations are identified,
and then used to determine the steps necessary to reach career goals and
achieve success. Customer service, pictured to the right, is just
one of the possible career paths consumers receiving situational assessments
can try out.
 For
some individuals employment in the community is not an immediate goal.
The
Basic Life Skills program
assists people with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities
optimize their personal social and vocational competency. Self care,
socialization, communication, daily living skills, computer usage, sensory
enrichment, academic skills, basic vocational activities, health, wellness
and leisure/recreational activities are part of the focus of this supportive
and goal oriented program. Our
Personal Social and
Community program is also available to assist
individuals with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities that
do not require as much support and would like to explore community
employment. Pictured above is Jim Miller, an artist with
Roots of American Music.
Music is just one of the regular enrichment activities participants enjoy as
part of both programs.
 Vocational
Guidance Services pioneered the
Work Adjustment
technique that is used throughout the country. An earn-while-you-learn
opportunity, Work Adjustment is a transitional employment program in which
consumers earn a paycheck while learning appropriate workplace behaviors,
such as work quality, punctuality, and productivity. Custodial,
pictured to the left, is just one of the many career area's open to
individuals participating in the Work Adjustment program.
 Vocational Guidance Services
Skills Training programs give consumers the tools they
need to gain employment. Hands-on work experience in computer, custodial,
food service, child care, retail skills , building maintenance or textile
services training, provides consumers with marketable skills to take with
them into the work force. Pictured to the right is the
Clerical/Computer Training program at our Painesville location.
 Once training is complete, the search for employment begins. Vocational
Guidance Services’
Employment
Services programming guides consumers through the
entire job-seeking process. Assistance identifying employer
expectations, filling out applications, resume creation and interview
preparation are all provided to consumers. A new state-of-the-art job
search resource room is now also available to participants and after a job
has been secured, continued guidance is provided to help consumers achieve
long-term success. The new Job Search Resource Center, open to all
employment services participants from 8:30-4:00 Monday through Friday is
pictured to the left. The space equipped with computers, internet
access, phones, job postings, fax/copy/print capabilities, public
transportation information, etc. and is staffed by employment professionals.
|
|
