Employment Services
Our employment services offer a wide range of support to help people learn skills necessary to be successful in a job. Individuals can participate in one of several programs, depending on their interests and abilities.
Employment services include:
- Prevocational services
- Community employment
- Work opportunties
See below for additional information or contact Laura Jardine at 563-391-4834 or via email.
Prevocational Services
To help people develop their vocational strengths and reduce barriers to successful employment, prevocational services offer a variety of paid work experiences, individual and group counseling, individual and group instruction, skill building activities and personalized work services. Participants learn how to complete a resume and interview for a job, while also completing various jobs both on site and in the community.
Participants are paid for their work, so they’re able to experience the intrinsic value of work and the feelings of respect and self-worth generated by being productive. Prevocational Services are time-limited, and plans are in place to assist job attainment at the end of the period of service.
Downloadable resources:
Let’s Talk about Work! | Follow Up Discussion Form | List of resources and referral information
Community Employment
Community Employment supports individuals in their community work settings. Services include assistance with obtaining a job in the community, such as help with identifying vocational interests and abilities, completing resumes, and interviewing skills. Once a job is obtained, on-the-job training, job counseling, and job coaching are available. Individuals are matched with employers according to their interests, skills, and job responsibilities.
Work Opportunities
We have several work opportunities for individuals who have the skills and interest in working in these settings:
- A cleaning crew services a variety of area businesses and organizations, ensuring their spaces are cleaned and sanitized. The crew members are employed by Empowering Abilities and most of them also attend one or more other programs at Empowering Abilities.
- Enterprises is a production area where workers complete packaging and assembly jobs for local and regional businesses. Enterprise associates are regular, part time Empowering Abilities employees. Learn more about Enterprises.
- Empowering Abilities has a sorting crew at the Scott County Materials Recycling Facility that works at the county’s facility sorting recycling materials.