"I look for the best person that fits the position. If they have a disability, I make sure to accommodate when needed. Creative Workforce Solutions (CWS) has helped a lot with my hiring. They have helped with getting people in for job shadows, mock interviews and to job fairs. I have found CWS to be amazingly supportive." Matt Farnham, Hannaford's Morrisville
"I look for individuals who are “people-people”, can actively do the activities with the individuals that they serve, is able to do one on one, to talk and listen and also “card sharks." She explained that is someone who can play a good game of poker!! Apparently that is one of the coveted activities of the individuals who use the The Gathering Place. She added, "People with disabilities come with more supportive services then just someone off the street. They also have more people to be held accountable to for showing up to work other than just the job." When asked about professional growth among her PWD volunteers Carolyn said, "Yes, the best example was a person who was so timid that they did not want to leave there home. The volunteer assignment started out at only 10 hours per week but as they adjusted and became more confident they asked for more and more hours. They loved the job so much that they were inspired to go to school to become a student nurse and is still doing well at that." Carolyn Stoughton, Volunteer Coordinator, The Gathering Place, Brattleboro. The Gathering Place provides Adult Day Care and other services to promote empowerment, independence and quality of life for elders, adults with disabilities and their caregivers.
Simon Labranche, Labranche Lumber, Newport: Manufacturer of railroad ties and hardwood flooring: I use Neil Morrissette from CWS. He knows what I’m looking for and he won’t send me people I don’t need or who he knows will not be able to the job. One thing I like about Creative Workforce solutions (CWS) is I get to try the folks out before I hire them this works good for me as well as the person who I hire. We have had people come and just watch our operation or sometimes people come for a couple days to do Work Experiences. This works really well because folks get to see what this job entails and I get to see if this person would fit our team."
