Employment Advantage

Village Learning & Achievement Center’s Employment Advantage, which provides employment support services, helps individuals with disabilities overcome workforce challenges by matching clients’ skill sets with jobs and providing support with resume and application writing, interviewing skills, job coaching and co-worker and employer relationship building.

We work with adults with disabilities to find jobs in businesses throughout the community, and we help our clients become independent at their jobs. Employment Advantage is a designated provider for the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

Building Skills & Natural Supports

Supported Employment is a specialized service that is especially suited for individuals with severe disabilities for whom competitive employment at or above the minimum wage is a challenge without assistance. We formally assess each client’s capacities, then create a written plan to determine possible job matches, how we can break down potential jobs into teachable steps and what training and re-training will be needed to promote job stability in an integrated work setting. Once an employee achieves work goals agreed upon by the employer, our on-site support is reduced. We always maintain ongoing contact with the employer and employee to serve as a resource as the need arises.

We strongly believe that one of the keys to job stability is the development of natural supports in the work environment. Encouraging each client to develop good rapport with their co-workers and supervisors typically allows us to reduce our direct supports more quickly and facilitates long-term job retention.

Advocacy

As we work with each individual, we are dedicated to breaking attitude barriers and helping others learn to value people with disabilities as people first. We work hard to prepare each client for employment, showcasing their abilities and then providing the support the employee and employer need to produce a win-win situation.

A Win-Win Opportunity

Men and Women in our supported employment program work successfully in a wide variety of settings, including restaurants, hotels, retail stores, manufacturing, offices, childcare and more. Employees with disabilities provide significant benefits to the businesses, easing employers’ concerns about labor shortages and creating more diverse work groups that include individuals who typically have low absenteeism and high performance. Companies that hire and accommodate people with disabilities also can receive tax benefits, resulting in tangible benefits for the employee, the business and our community.

For more information regarding Village Learning & Achievement Center’s Employment Support Services, please contact Mary Ciura (281-358-6172).