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Edison State Community College
Edison Hosts
Interns from Capabilities, Inc.
Some call it an integrated placement. Edison State calls it building
community. In honor of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness
Month, Edison State Community College is shedding light on the unique
partnership that has recently been formed with Capabilities, Inc. to
provide internship opportunities and career exploration for individuals
with developmental disabilities.
Through this partnership, Edison State has hosted Tony Muhlenkamp of
Russia, Ohio, in Student Affairs, Valerie Leanza, of Troy, Ohio, in
Environmental Services, and Denise Dalton, of West Milton, Ohio, in the
Library and Student Affairs. Four days a week, Denise, Tony, and
Valarie contribute to the operations of the College and in doing so are
given the opportunity to learn, develop, and enhance valuable job
skills in a real-world setting.
As Denise, Tony, and Valerie gain hands-on job experience, they have
already built strong relationships with colleagues and students that
they get to see every day at Edison State. Some of these relationships
lend themselves to becoming the source of professional references when
their internships are over and they are looking for jobs in the larger
community.
“These three look forward to the fact that they have the opportunity to
build relationships with co-workers and people they get to see
everyday,” said Bonnie Riell, Community and Career Consultant for
Capabilities, Inc. “There are students that know Denise, Tony, and
Valerie personally which makes it nice for them to see some familiar
faces.”
Because of the diverse career opportunities available, Capabilities,
Inc. has found Edison State to be an ideal workplace for internship
candidates to experience several career fields and hone in on areas
that fit their desires. Though Denise, Tony, and Valerie currently work
in customer service and maintenance functions, they have the potential
to gain experience in other various departments throughout the College.
“Edison State is an excellent partner for people with disabilities.
With all of the different jobs on campus, people can get a good idea of
what jobs they like and what jobs they would perform well,” said Karen
Blumhorst, CEO of Capabilities, Inc. “Once they know that they can also
gain some valuable recent experience for their resume. It is much
easier to find a job once you have a current experience. We believe
that this collaboration will help hundreds of people find a job.”
In 2007, the Governor of Ohio launched the Employment First initiative
that encourages every agency, school, organization and individual
within Ohio’s developmental disabilities system to focus on what can be
done to provide the best support and service to enable people to choose
and succeed in community employment. Conversations of this particular
initiative started with the Darke County Board of Developmental
Disabilities.
“We knew we needed to take a team approach to this initiative and we
are thrilled to have Edison State as part of our larger team,” said
Justin Blumhorst, Chief Operating Officer for Capabilities, Inc.
“Our company was founded in 1997 and here we are almost 20 years later
serving over 2,200 people annually.”
Those seeking employment include people who are lacking work
experience, those coming from segregated work backgrounds, and people
who are returning to the workforce following an injury.
“The intern placements strive to replicate actual job needs and intern
strengths. Ultimately, the goal is for these interns to be hired
because it makes sense and they are a great fit for a certain job and
they’re not just being hired for the sake of being hired,” added
Blumhorst.
“Just in our presence at Edison State, we notice staff members who come
to us and say, “I have a brother who, I have a cousin who…” and so we
realize there are people out there that are looking for this type of
service.”
Some other sites that have hosted interns through Capabilities, Inc.
include the Meijer Distribution Center in Tipp City, various Kroger
locations, and such Piqua locations as Wal-Mart, UPS, and Piqua Manor.
In 2015, Capabilities, Inc. assisted 489 people with disabilities to
secure their own, individualized employment. Of those people, 38 were
Darke County residents, 50 were Miami County residents, 28 were Shelby
County residents, and 93 were Montgomery County residents.
Capabilities, Inc. strives to provide people with differing abilities
the maximum support needed to successfully achieve and sustain their
goals. Headquartered in St. Marys, Ohio, the organization holds
accreditation from CARF. In addition to providing community integration
services, Capabilities, Inc. also provides help in the areas of
community employment services, driving services, career exploration
services, professional training, and technology services.
Now in its fifth decade of service, Edison Community College is
committed to providing higher education and advanced training
opportunities for the people of the greater Miami Valley. Edison is
accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is recognized with the
highest order attainable by the Ohio Board of Regents. With campuses in
Piqua and Greenville, Edison provides a Personal Experience and
Rewarding Education. Visit us online at www.edisonohio.edu.
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