[Jobs] FW: [Missouri-l] Potential Telecommunications Employment Opportunity

[Peter Altschul]

   _____  

----- Original Message ----- 

From: HYPERLINK "mailto:Vipcomm at mchsi.com"Parker at Vip conduit 

To: HYPERLINK "mailto:accessibleDevices at googlegroups.com"Accessible Devices 

Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 9:02 AM

Subject: Accessible Devices Potential Telecommunications Employment
Opportunity

 

We believe this will be of interest to some of you.

 NEW EMPLOYMENT FRONTIER IN EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND
A REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT
Technological advances and a changing economy forced the South Carolina
Commission
for the Blind to be creative and develop a different approach to training
and placement
for our blind consumers. We had successfully placed a number of blind people
in Tele-communications
with the Vanguard Rental Corporation, the owners of Alamo and National Car
Rentals.
These placements were prefaced with individual training and a lot of
experimenting
with assistive technology. How could we develop a training program in
Tele-communications
that trained groups of prospective employees, and where could we go to get
the technical
assistance to adapt tele-communications software to the assistive technology
essential
for our blind consumers? We concluded it could happen with a partnership
with private
industry.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Vanguard Rental Corporation was a willing partner because of their positive
experiences
with their blind employees. They brought to the partnership technical
assistance,
equipment, software and financial participation. With a contractual
relationship,
the private sector partner not only provides placement to everyone trained
on their
programs: but also allows training for other employers with adapted
software. In
addition to training for Vanguard Rental Corporation, training and placement
programs
are established with Drivers' Choice Insurance Company and Wells Fargo
Mortgage Company.
PREPARING FOR TRAINING
The preparation for training begins with the VR Counselor pre-screening
consumers
who are potential trainees. Referrals to the program are then screened for
communications
skills and knowledge and use of assistive technology. Some employers prefer
to interview
candidates for training while other employers rely on the selections made by
agency
staff.
TRAINING
In a fast paced environment, the twelve weeks training program is presented
in three
phases-classroom training with the manuals of the company for which the
trainee will
be working, hands-on training with live computers and working with live
calls in
an intense work setting. Training is eight hours each day, Monday through
Friday:
and appropriate work habits such as limited lunch hour and limited break
time is
enforced. Trainees are evaluated throughout the twelve weeks, and remedial
intervention
is offered when trainees demonstrate skills deficits that can be addressed.
ARRANGEMENTS
For South Carolina residents, we provide rooms and meals at the
Rehabilitation Center
on campus. For out of state trainees, we provide assistance in locating
off-campus
housing, and meals are provided through the Rehabilitation Center.
Transportation
is provided to and from training for out of state trainees as well as
transportation
to and from the airport. Orientation and mobility are also available to all
trainees.
EMPLOYMENT! EMPLOYMENT! EMPLOYMENT!
Employers commit to placement before trainees are accepted into the program.
If a
trainee does not show potential for successful completion, the training is
terminated.
Entry level salaries range from $24,000 to $26,000 annually, and agency
staff assists
with relocation, orientation and mobility and technical assistance at time
of entry
into employment.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For additional information, contact Ed. Bible at (803) 898-8786.
SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND
Dr. Nell C. Carney, Commissioner
NEW HORIZONS IN TRAINING AND COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT
Dr. Nell C. Carney, Commissioner
South Carolina Commission for the Blind
In 1999, the South Carolina General Assembly appropriated $200,000 to the
Commission
for the Blind to expand an industrial training program for blind and
severely visually
impaired consumers of working age who had expressed an interest in working.
When
the blueprints for the expansion arrived a year later complete with conveyer
belts
and work areas, we were confronted with making a decision about the kind of
industries
we should recruit as our partners in the expansion project.
A quick analysis of the labor market in South Carolina indicated that the
greatest
numbers of jobs now and for the foreseeable future were in the area of
Tele-communications-customer
service representatives, rental and reservation specialists and sales.  With
this
information, the blueprints were sent back to the drawing board with
instructions
to design a Tele-communications center with state-of-the-art computers,
telephone
equipment and assistive technology for use by blind and severely visually
impaired
trainees.
When the revised blueprints arrived, it was obvious that we would need
technical
assistance and financial support from a private sector partner to make a
success
of the training program.  We turned to Vanguard Rental Corporation who had
hired
a number of our job ready clients.  Because they were familiar with our
programs
and had found the consumers we had trained to be excellent employees,
Vanguard Rental
Corporation eagerly joined as our partners providing both financial support
and technical
assistance.
After one and one half years of hard, and sometimes frustrating, work, the
Tele-communications
Training Center was opened on our campus in Columbia, SC on September 18,
2001.
The center has the capacity to accommodate 30 trainees.  The overall
training period
is twelve weeks: six weeks in the training room and six weeks taking live
calls in
an intense work environment.
Vanguard Rental Corporation has already committed to hiring all of the
trainees who
complete the training in the first year of the program.  Other private
organizations
where our consumers are employed have contacted the Commission to negotiate
training
programs.  In addition, we have had inquiries from other state
rehabilitation programs
about placing consumers in the training program.
The success of the development of the training center is a sterling example
of the
progress that can be made when private industry and state government
programs form
a partnership in the interest of employment of individuals with disabilities
and
the social and economic good of the community.  The Training center is
dedicated
to the continuation of efforts between private industry and public programs
that
will create competitive employment opportunities for present and future
generations
of blind and visually impaired South Carolinians and have a positive
economic and
social impact on the community.
On Tuesday, September 18th, 2001 at 10:30 AM, the South Carolina Commission
for the
Blind and Vanguard Rental Corporation held opening and dedication ceremonies
for
a Telecommunications training center for the blind and severely visually
impaired
individuals at the Ellen Beach Mack Rehabilitation Center.  In attendance,
we had
our Board of Commissioners, a member of the legislature, Voc Rehab, CAP, a
few members
of the Projects with Industries Advisory Board along with a number of
individuals
from Vanguard Rental Corporation.
This revolutionary concept will unite private industry and state government
to provide
training and job placement services for our consumers.  The outstanding
performance
of the client's previously placed with Vanguard Rental Corporation led to
the initial
contacts between Vanguard and our Employment and Training division, which
culminated
in the partnership that makes this center possible.  We were able to secure
approval
to make changes to a planned expansion of the Projects with Industries
Program in
the old pool area with a $200,000 appropriation from the General Assembly in
1999.
These changes are a reflection of the ever-changing job market as well as
the challenges
our clients faced during training due to the need to learn how the assistive
technology
and the company's software work together in a fast paced classroom
environment.
We have many call centers located across our state that utilize technology
which
lends itself well to adaptations for use by our consumers.  These types of
positions
provide excellent opportunities for further advancement.
Following pre-screening by the VR Counselors, Communications, and Technical
Services,
consumers are recommended to the program.  The clients accepted into the
call center
will receive training in customer service skills along with the software
applications
provided by our partner companies taught from the perspective of the
adaptive technology
user.  Training will progress through three phases with a potential to serve
up to
thirty consumers at a time.  Following successful completion of the program,
the
consumer will be employed by a partnering company.
After successful placement of our consumers, we can all share in the
development
of a new employment frontier made possible by a collaborative effort between
private
enterprise and state government.  Isn't it exciting to see the virtually
limitless
employment opportunities we can create by working as a team!
Reprinted with the permission of the National Federation of the Blind of
South Carolina
from its August, 2001 edition of the Palmetto Blind.
Training Center Aids Visually Impaired
(Editor's Note:  The following appeared in the Wednesday, September 19, 2001
edition
of The State Newspaper.  Congratulations to the Commission for the Blind for
the
establishment of this excellent Training Program.)
An old indoor swimming pool at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind
has been
turned into a training facility that will help the visually impaired become
part
of the labor force.
The Telecommunications Training Center, unveiled Tuesday morning, uses
computers
and a talking computer program that allows blind people to work in call
centers.
The new Center will play a vital role in the organization's mission to train
people
to be competitive in the marketplace, said Dr. Nelle Carney, Commissioner of
the
Commission.  It is also important to partner with industry to provide
practical skills
for blind people, Dr. Carney said.
The Training Center is a public-private partnership.  Vanguard Rental Corp.,
owner
of Alamo and National Car Rental Companies helped provide equipment.
Clients of the Commission will learn on computers answering real customer
service
and reservation calls from Vanguard, Park Seed in Greenwood and other
companies.
With the changing economy, the decision was made to focus less on
manufacturing and
more toward call center, said Ed Bible, Director of Employment and Training
for the
Commission.
In the past, when blind people were trained for work, the expectations were
low and
the training was not the standard used in the workplace, Bible said.
The call center was developed using Vanguard Rental Corp's guidelines, Bible
said.
The people training in this facility will have the computer skills they need
before
applying for the job, said Mike Ralston, Director of Training for Vanguard
Rental
Corp.
Vanguard had already employed seven visually impaired people at two of its
call centers,
but the company trained the employees themselves, Ralston said.
Employees from the Commission's Training Center could help fill the 100 or
more employees
needed during peak season at Park Seed in Greenwood, said Dawn Gilbert,
Human Resources
Manager.
Trainees at the Telecommunications Center will use a program called JAWS -
Job Access
with Speech - to hear what is on the computer screen, said David Bundy,
technical
coordinator and trainer who demonstrated the technology.
Specially designed headsets will allow blind people to hear a customer
calling in
one ear and the actions of the computer in the other ear.
For more information on our Alamo/National car rental training program,
contact me
at the below information.
Steve Cook, Telecommunications Instructor/Trainer
SC Commission for the Blind
Phone: (803) 898-8788
Fax: (803) 898-8852
E-Mail:
HYPERLINK "mailto:stcook at sccb.sc.gov"stcook at sccb.sc.gov


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----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:Vipcomm at mchsi.com Parker at Vip conduit
To:
mailto:accessibleDevices at googlegroups.com Accessible Devices
Sent:
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 9:02 AM
Subject:
Accessible Devices Potential Telecommunications Employment
Opportunity
 
We believe this will be of interest to some of you.
 NEW EMPLOYMENT FRONTIER IN EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND
A REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT
Technological advances and a changing economy forced the South Carolina Commission
for the Blind to be creative and develop a different approach to training and placement
for our blind consumers. We had successfully placed a number of blind people in Tele-communications
with the Vanguard Rental Corporation, the owners of
Alamo
and National Car Rentals.
These placements were prefaced with individual training and a lot of experimenting
with assistive technology. How could we develop a training program in Tele-communications
that trained groups of prospective employees, and where could we go to get the technical
assistance to adapt tele-communications software to the assistive technology essential
for our blind consumers? We concluded it could happen with a partnership with private
industry.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Vanguard Rental Corporation was a willing partner because of their positive experiences
with their blind employees. They brought to the partnership technical assistance,
equipment, software and financial participation. With a contractual relationship,
the private sector partner not only provides placement to everyone trained on their
programs: but also allows training for other employers with adapted software. In
addition to training for Vanguard Rental Corporation, training and placement programs
are established with Drivers' Choice Insurance Company and Wells Fargo Mortgage Company.
PREPARING FOR TRAINING
The preparation for training begins with the VR Counselor pre-screening consumers
who are potential trainees. Referrals to the program are then screened for communications
skills and knowledge and use of assistive technology. Some employers prefer to interview
candidates for training while other employers rely on the selections made by agency
staff.
TRAINING
In a fast paced environment, the twelve weeks training program is presented in three
phases-classroom training with the manuals of the company for which the trainee will
be working, hands-on training with live computers and working with live calls in
an intense work setting. Training is eight hours each day, Monday through Friday:
and appropriate work habits such as limited lunch hour and limited break time is
enforced. Trainees are evaluated throughout the twelve weeks, and remedial intervention
is offered when trainees demonstrate skills deficits that can be addressed.
ARRANGEMENTS
For South Carolina residents, we provide rooms and meals at the Rehabilitation Center
on campus. For out of state trainees, we provide assistance in locating off-campus
housing, and meals are provided through the Rehabilitation Center. Transportation
is provided to and from training for out of state trainees as well as transportation
to and from the airport. Orientation and mobility are also available to all trainees.
EMPLOYMENT! EMPLOYMENT! EMPLOYMENT!
Employers commit to placement before trainees are accepted into the program. If a
trainee does not show potential for successful completion, the training is terminated.
Entry level salaries range from $24,000 to $26,000 annually, and agency staff assists
with relocation, orientation and mobility and technical assistance at time of entry
into employment.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For additional information, contact Ed. Bible at (803) 898-8786.
SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND
Dr. Nell C. Carney, Commissioner
NEW HORIZONS IN TRAINING AND COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT
Dr. Nell C. Carney, Commissioner
South Carolina Commission for the Blind
In 1999, the South Carolina General Assembly appropriated $200,000 to the Commission
for the Blind to expand an industrial training program for blind and severely visually
impaired consumers of working age who had expressed an interest in working.  When
the blueprints for the expansion arrived a year later complete with conveyer belts
and work areas, we were confronted with making a decision about the kind of industries
we should recruit as our partners in the expansion project.
A quick analysis of the labor market in South Carolina indicated that the greatest
numbers of jobs now and for the foreseeable future were in the area of Tele-communications-customer
service representatives, rental and reservation specialists and sales.  With this
information, the blueprints were sent back to the drawing board with instructions
to design a Tele-communications center with state-of-the-art computers, telephone
equipment and assistive technology for use by blind and severely visually impaired
trainees.
When the revised blueprints arrived, it was obvious that we would need technical
assistance and financial support from a private sector partner to make a success
of the training program.  We turned to Vanguard Rental Corporation who had hired
a number of our job ready clients.  Because they were familiar with our programs
and had found the consumers we had trained to be excellent employees, Vanguard Rental
Corporation eagerly joined as our partners providing both financial support and technical
assistance.
After one and one half years of hard, and sometimes frustrating, work, the Tele-communications
Training Center was opened on our campus in Columbia, SC on September 18, 2001.
The center has the capacity to accommodate 30 trainees.  The overall training period
is twelve weeks: six weeks in the training room and six weeks taking live calls in
an intense work environment.
Vanguard Rental Corporation has already committed to hiring all of the trainees who
complete the training in the first year of the program.  Other private organizations
where our consumers are employed have contacted the Commission to negotiate training
programs.  In addition, we have had inquiries from other state rehabilitation programs
about placing consumers in the training program.
The success of the development of the training center is a sterling example of the
progress that can be made when private industry and state government programs form
a partnership in the interest of employment of individuals with disabilities and
the social and economic good of the community.  The Training center is dedicated
to the continuation of efforts between private industry and public programs that
will create competitive employment opportunities for present and future generations
of blind and visually impaired South Carolinians and have a positive economic and
social impact on the community.
On Tuesday, September 18th, 2001 at 10:30 AM, the South Carolina Commission for the
Blind and Vanguard Rental Corporation held opening and dedication ceremonies for
a Telecommunications training center for the blind and severely visually impaired
individuals at the Ellen Beach Mack Rehabilitation Center.  In attendance, we had
our Board of Commissioners, a member of the legislature, Voc Rehab, CAP, a few members
of the Projects with Industries Advisory Board along with a number of individuals
from Vanguard Rental Corporation.
This revolutionary concept will unite private industry and state government to provide
training and job placement services for our consumers.  The outstanding performance
of the client's previously placed with Vanguard Rental Corporation led to the initial
contacts between Vanguard and our Employment and Training division, which culminated
in the partnership that makes this center possible.  We were able to secure approval
to make changes to a planned expansion of the Projects with Industries Program in
the old pool area with a $200,000 appropriation from the General Assembly in 1999.
These changes are a reflection of the ever-changing job market as well as the challenges
our clients faced during training due to the need to learn how the assistive technology
and the company's software work together in a fast paced classroom environment.
We have many call centers located across our state that utilize technology which
lends itself well to adaptations for use by our consumers.  These types of positions
provide excellent opportunities for further advancement.
Following pre-screening by the VR Counselors, Communications, and Technical Services,
consumers are recommended to the program.  The clients accepted into the call center
will receive training in customer service skills along with the software applications
provided by our partner companies taught from the perspective of the adaptive technology
user.  Training will progress through three phases with a potential to serve up to
thirty consumers at a time.  Following successful completion of the program, the
consumer will be employed by a partnering company.
After successful placement of our consumers, we can all share in the development
of a new employment frontier made possible by a collaborative effort between private
enterprise and state government.  Isn't it exciting to see the virtually limitless
employment opportunities we can create by working as a team!
Reprinted with the permission of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina
from its August, 2001 edition of the Palmetto Blind.
Training Center Aids Visually Impaired
(Editor's Note:  The following appeared in the Wednesday, September 19, 2001 edition
of The State Newspaper.  Congratulations to the Commission for the Blind for the
establishment of this excellent Training Program.)
An old indoor swimming pool at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind has been
turned into a training facility that will help the visually impaired become part
of the labor force.
The Telecommunications Training Center, unveiled Tuesday morning, uses computers
and a talking computer program that allows blind people to work in call centers.
The new Center will play a vital role in the organization's mission to train people
to be competitive in the marketplace, said Dr. Nelle Carney, Commissioner of the
Commission.  It is also important to partner with industry to provide practical skills
for blind people, Dr. Carney said.
The Training Center is a public-private partnership.  Vanguard Rental Corp., owner
of Alamo and National Car Rental Companies helped provide equipment.
Clients of the Commission will learn on computers answering real customer service
and reservation calls from Vanguard, Park Seed in Greenwood and other companies.
With the changing economy, the decision was made to focus less on manufacturing and
more toward call center, said Ed Bible, Director of Employment and Training for the
Commission.
In the past, when blind people were trained for work, the expectations were low and
the training was not the standard used in the workplace, Bible said.
The call center was developed using Vanguard Rental Corp's guidelines, Bible said.
The people training in this facility will have the computer skills they need before
applying for the job, said Mike Ralston, Director of Training for Vanguard Rental
Corp.
Vanguard had already employed seven visually impaired people at two of its call centers,
but the company trained the employees themselves, Ralston said.
Employees from the Commission's Training Center could help fill the 100 or more employees
needed during peak season at Park Seed in Greenwood, said Dawn Gilbert, Human Resources
Manager.
Trainees at the Telecommunications Center will use a program called JAWS - Job Access
with Speech - to hear what is on the computer screen, said David Bundy, technical
coordinator and trainer who demonstrated the technology.
Specially designed headsets will allow blind people to hear a customer calling in
one ear and the actions of the computer in the other ear.
For more information on our Alamo/National car rental training program, contact me
at the below information.
Steve Cook, Telecommunications Instructor/Trainer
SC Commission for the Blind
Phone: (803) 898-8788
Fax: (803) 898-8852
E-Mail:
mailto:stcook at sccb.sc.gov stcook at sccb.sc.gov
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.6.1/776 - Release Date: 4/25/2007 12:19 PM
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.6.1/776 - Release Date: 4/25/2007 12:19 PM