OUTCOMES

WORK SERVICES

At Sycamore Services Work Center, Direct Service Professionals supported 50-60 participants  as they learned job skills, developed proper work place behaviors and increased their level of independence in work situations.  While performing contract work at the Center, individuals may be selected to receive services to assist them in obtaining a community based job.  During 2008, 13 individuals from the Work Center also held jobs in the community.  This demonstrates that the skills learned at the Center can be transitioned to the community.  Employment Consultants coordinate work schedules and transportation with the Work Center to guarantee that one work schedule does not interfere with the other.

Contract jobs are provide participants with a learn as you earn activity.  Everyone has an opportunity to work and groups are made up of individuals with similar production levels.  Staff are available to oversee production levels and provide instruction or accommodation as needed.  Participants earned an average hourly wage of $1.02 in 2008, with a higher producers earning as much as $3.00 per hour.   

Pre-vocational training occurs in the Work Center each day so participants can improve skills in the following areas:

Light Assembly              Packaging                      Shrink Wrapping
Collating and sorting      Labeling and tabbing      Gluing, taping, stapling

The Work Center regularly produces mailing jobs for our own shop, Sycamore Print Center.  We also sponsor a mobile community-based crew that provides janitorial services to local businesses and churches and several Sycamore locations. 

In 2008, a refreshed focus was put on acquiring new contract vendors.  Personnel were identified to serve in a “sales” capacity to bring greater visibility to the Center and the work that is done there.  Calls to potential customers were scripted to assure that all available services were identified in order to bring in a greater variety of jobs.  These new approaches resulted in 3 new vendors being added to 8 existing customers. The new jobs will increase the types of skills that participants are able to learn as well as increase their potential earnings.