CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

First-of-its-kind program addresses needs of manufacturers, those with autism

Meadville Tribune - 7/4/2022

Jul. 4—An innovative program designed to address manufacturing employment needs and assist an underutilized portion of the population will be the first of its kind in the state when it launches at Crawford Tech this fall.

The Uniquely Abled Academy continues to accept applicants for its first cohort. The free 16-week job training program is aimed specifically at those with high-functioning autism.

Organizers hope to recruit a group of about five to seven young adults at least 18 years old to start the 405 hours of instruction in September. and organizers are even more hopeful of seeing those same participants employed with area firms in the precision machining industry come January.

"This is a win-win in a big way," Greg Wasko said of the program Friday.

As vice president and partner at Starn Tool and Manufacturing Co., Wasko should know. He learned of the program less than a year ago in his role as president of National Tooling & Machining Association's education committee. When he returned to Meadville and began making calls to gauge interest in trying it here, the response was overwhelming.

"The support has been," he said, "and for a good reason."

Among those who have worked to make the idea a reality are officials at the Erie-based Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC). Like Wasko, Robert Zaruta, the NWIRC president, saw the program's potential benefits extending to a variety of stakeholders.

"It's going to be a big win for so many people," he said. "not only the individuals that participate as trainees, but also their families, the larger community and manufacturers, of course."

Community members with high functioning or level 1 autism spectrum disorder, sometimes referred to as Asperger's syndrome, can help fill both existing job openings and additional needs that are expected over the coming decade due to retirements, according to Zaruta.

"This is a population that is underserved," he said. "And the population is greater than the number of academy positions available this fall — that's why we want to run multiple classes each year and expand the program."

The goal, according to Wasko, Zaruta and other organizers, is for every participant in the fall program to land a precision machining job after completing the program.

To make that happen, participants will not only CNC technical training but also "soft skill" practice in communication, workplace culture and related topics. Students are paired with a job coach during their training who transitions with them as they start a new job, and for a short time afterward as they become acclimated to their new career.

Funding for the academy comes from a variety of grant supporters, according to Laurie Knoll of NWIRC, including more than $60,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Labor and $10,000 from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The push to move from idea to reality in less than a year has been exciting, according to Wasko. It was possible because each successive person and organization contacted about participating was quick to recognize the potential benefits and to jump on board.

"So many people have said, 'I'm in.'" Wsko said. "Our community is pretty special."

With only about a dozen similar programs in the nation, and none of them located in rural areas comparable to Meadville, Wasko acknowledged that the Uniquely Abled Academy was an ambitious undertaking.

"That's OK," he said. "That's what we're supposed to do."

Learn more

The Uniquely Abled Academy, a 16-week job training program for those with high functioning autism, will begin in September at Crawford Tech, 860, Thurston Road. Participants will receive 405 hours of training as computer-numerical control operators in late-afternoon sessions led by a Crawford Tech instructor. Academy organizers are also searching for a program coordinator. For more information on how to apply, contact Willow Peterman at .

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .

___

(c)2022 The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.)

Visit The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.) at meadvilletribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.