DUBLIN, Ohio (Oct. 21, 2014) – ViaQuest Employment Services joined Office Depot, Inc., Kessler Foundation and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) today in celebrating the initial successes of its job training and employment program for adults with disabilities.
ViaQuest worked with Office Depot to implement a job training program for adults with disabilities at Office Depot’s distribution center in Southwest Columbus, Ohio. Office Depot has gone on to provide full- and part-time employment to many of the individuals with disabilities who have completed ViaQuest’s job training program.
“Our program is different than a typical job training program,” said Larry Worth, executive director, ViaQuest Employment Services. “Participants are brought directly into the facility for two days and are taught skills that can be used across the facility, rather than learning one specific repeated task. Many of those individuals are then offered full- or part-time employment.”
ViaQuest Employment Services provides pre-qualified, trained applicants on a full-time, part-time or seasonal basis for employment training, job placement, job coaching and follow-up support. The organization has developed strong partnerships with many companies that are also passionate about hiring people with disabilities.
“We’re [ViaQuest] in the business of enriching people’s lives,” said Rich Johnson, President and CEO, ViaQuest. “And this program is doing just that by assisting individuals who may otherwise experience significant barriers on the job or have difficulty gaining employment.”
OOD – the statewide agency for employment and rehabilitation services – identifies potential participants for the Office Depot training program. OOD provides services to nearly 4,000 Central Ohioans with disabilities in Franklin and contiguous counties and more than 27,000 throughout Ohio to assist them in realizing their employment goals.
Office Depot is a leading global provider of office products, services and solutions. The company’s disabilities hiring program is being facilitated through a two-year grant from Kessler Foundation to help expand employment for adults with disabilities. The resulting grant project was designed to assist Office Depot in developing local and national partnerships within the disability community to create career training programs aimed at increasing its hiring of people with disabilities. Ohio, along with three other states, is participating in this pilot program.
“Office Depot is proud to partner with the Kessler Foundation, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities and ViaQuest on this worthwhile program,” said Ken Roman, General Manager for the Office Depot distribution center in Southwest Columbus. “We’re committed to helping improve the lives of people in the communities where we do business. By giving individuals with disabilities the skills and resources to become well-trained associates, we’re providing them with the best chance for sustaining meaningful, paying employment.”
Kessler Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of people with disabilities through rehabilitation research and funding disability employment initiatives. OOD is the state agency responsible for assisting individuals with disabilities to live independently, gain meaningful employment or receive disability benefits through the Social Security Administration.
For more information about the celebration or ViaQuest’s Employment Services division, please contact Larry Worth at 614.339.0852 or visit www.ViaQuestEmploymentServices.com.
About ViaQuest
ViaQuest, Inc. is a healthcare company that believes strongly in choice for its employees and the people it serves. Its areas of expertise include home health and hospice, mental and behavioral health, and developmental disabilities. ViaQuest offers quality, highly-personalized, specialized and cost-effective care, empowering individuals to function independently and live their best possible lives. Through a wide range of innovative services referred to as ViaQuest’s Circle of Care, a skilled, dedicated staff ensures that the people served are active participants in their own care. The company is based in Dublin, Ohio. For more information, call ViaQuest at 800-645-3267 or visit www.ViaQuestInc.com.
