The Opportunity Center of Owensboro is expanding its services to include Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and Pre-Vocational Services (Pre-Voc). Vocational program manager Nick Tallent said the programs exist to provide clients with the necessary skills to gain employment and thrive in the community.
“We are always looking for new ways to raise awareness in our community and provide new opportunities for the clients we serve–it’s in our name, after all,” Tallent said. “By offering these services, we can assist both new and existing clients, young and old.”
The Opportunity Center’s mission is to provide training, advocacy, and support to people with disabilities, empowering them to achieve their life goals. They currently provide various employment and training options within their facility but wanted to expand and offer training to clients not enrolled in their day training program.
“Many people with disabilities have been told their entire lives that they can’t work or that they won’t be able to work long-term successfully,” Tallent said. Our goal is to educate and provide the training necessary to ensure that our clients know that they can be successful and work if that is what they really want to do.”
Tallent added that the program’s ultimate goal is to provide training and open the door to new client opportunities. The Opportunity Center wants to instill independence, self-advocacy, and confidence in every client.
“Our plan to start while clients are still in high school will prepare them for employment or post-secondary education after they graduate and help answer the question of, ‘What now?’ when they are no longer in school,” he said. “In addition, by providing services to adults, we can also help those clients who missed out while in school and now need assistance and support to be successful in the workplace.”
The two services are similar, primarily focusing on work skills, with Pre-ETS directed at high school students between the ages of 14 and 21 and Pre-Voc for adults considering employment or post-secondary education after high school.
They offer training in 5 components, including job exploration counseling, work-based learning, post-secondary education, work-readiness training, and self-advocacy skills.
Tallent said that every client won’t necessarily need all 5 components and that he and his team offer individualized services based on each client’s needs.
To learn more about the program or to inquire about services, visit https://opportunitycenterowensboro.org/ or call 270-685-2976.
