Jason Arndt, jarndt@wolfrivermedia.com
Implementation of the Family Care program in Shawano and Menominee counties also will affect Lakeland Industries, 504 Lakeland Road, a county-funded facility specializing in pre-vocational training for adults with disabilities.
Lakeland Industries provides training to about 75 people in aluminum recycling, woodworking and production assembly to give them skills needed by area businesses. The facility is open Monday through Thursday.
Fourteen area businesses provide jobs for Lakeland clients. They are Arrowcast Inc., J & R Machine, Fellman Center, Mod Tech, CA Lawton, Bayland Veener, Woodport Doors, Shawano County Highway Department, Fastenal, Owen Flooring, North States Wood Gates, Shawano County Finance Department, LJ Sperberg, and Town & County Cleaners.
First Presbyterian Church, Boarders Inn and Suites, and Goodwill Industries also serve as training sites.
Kimmery Weber, operated services manager for Shawano County Human Services, said the firms managing Family Care might want more diverse job opportunities for the clients.
Some clients spend an entire day at the Lakeland facility but due to Family Care’s focus of community integration, the program will need to recruit more businesses partners, Weber said.
“We are hoping to develop more community-based employment options for individuals at Lakeland or volunteer sites instead of having everything in-house,” she said. “We are hoping to get people out, even for part of their day, so that they have more experience in integration.”
Depending on a client’s ability they could spend a two hour portion of their day working at an area business and return to Lakeland for more vocational training.
Weber said Lakeland Industries participants can become valuable assets to businesses.
“We are hoping to partner with other local businesses to help meet their ‘unmet need’ to help expand the capacity of their staff,” she said.