Workforce Development

Emory Valley Center’s Workforce Development programs assist people in Anderson, Campbell, Knox, Morgan, Roane and Scott counties.

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Exploration

This service is designed to help a person make an informed choice about whether to pursue employment.  Support staff will:

Arrange career exploration activities

Schedule four to five business tours 

Practice informational interviews

Facilitate job shadows

Educate on work incentives

Explain to the person and family that the choice to pursue employment belongs to the person

Address any concerns, hesitations or objections

Discovery

This service is designed to help a person who wishes to pursue employment needs more information to determine the type of job to pursue.  Support staff will:

  Identify the person’s interests toward one or more specific aspects of the labor market

Build skills, strengths and other contributions likely to be valuable to employers or community

Identify the needs / accommodations of the persons to be successfully employed

Situational Observation and Assessment

 This service assesses a person’s interpersonal skills, work habits and vocational skills.  Support staff will:

Create practical experiences for the person to identify interests, preferences and transferable skills

Compare the actual performance of the person with core job skills and duties of a skilled worker

Determine what is needed for the person to be successfully employed

Job Coaching

This service provides services and supports to assist the person to maintain employment.  Support staff will:

 Support the person while working

 Facilitate communication between the person and the person’s supervisor and co-workers

 Create a Fading Plan

Co-Worker Supports

 This service involves a provider entering into an agreement with a person’s employer to reimburse the employer for supports provided by one or more supervisors and/or co-workers in order to fade Job Coaching.  Support staff will establish fading expectations to maximize independence of the employee.

Career Advancement

This service is for a person currently employed who wishes to obtain a promotion and/or a second job.  Support staff will:

  Identify the person’s specific career advancement objective

 Develop a viable plan to achieve this objective

 Implement the plan

 Monitor the person’s success in the advanced position

Integrated Employment Path Services

This service provides learning and work experiences, including volunteering opportunities, where a person can develop general, non-job-task-specific strengths and skills that contribute to employability.  Support staff will:

 Assist the person to identify employment goals

 Develop the person’s ability to communicate effectively, follow directions, attend to tasks, problem solve, and navigate the community

 Teach appropriate workplace conduct and dress

 Educate the person on general safety

 Identify strategies to transition the person to employment

For more information on how you can participate in any of our Workforce Development programs, please contact:

Workforce Innovation Director, Miranda Kelley 865-813-0580