Employment Services

The Employment Transition Center offers a variety of programs to meet the varied needs of individuals, including: Individual Placement, Group Supported Employment, and Transition to Work Program.

                Individual Placement:  It remains our top priority to place individuals in community jobs that are of interest to them. Individuals are competitively employed in community jobs with drop-in supports by employment specialists who go directly to work sites.  These individuals do not come to the Arc program/office sites; rather, their employment takes place in community businesses.  The Arc builds partnerships with local businesses to customize job supports.  Our goal is to help individuals find jobs of their choice and perform at a competitive level. The Arc’s training programs develop job experiences designed to match the needs of each individual, averaging between 90-100% employment rates.  Arc provides support services and ensures that all participants receive fair wages and treatment.  Current Employment sites include:

• Kohl’s
• Stop & Shop
• BJ’s Wholesale
• Herbie’s Deli

Group Support Employment:  Groups of three to four individuals work together with a job coach at various work sites in the community.  A job coach is with the individuals at all times to provide supervision and work supports.  Individuals will initially be coming to the Thomas J. Sullivan Employment Center (Groton site) in the morning. In the afternoon, participants meet their vans for transport to work and then home. The goal of the Thomas J. Sullivan Employment Center team is to establish relationships with local business and to develop work assignments in integrated workplace settings.
Current Employment sites:

• Submarine Base in Groton
• Computer Science Corporation
• Olive Garden Restaurants
• CW Resources
• CT Fleet Service
• Janitorial Services
• Landscaping and Cleaning Services

Transition to Work Program:  Students from age sixteen to twenty-one attending area public schools participate in our Transition to Work program, which is specially designed to develop employment building skills, job exploration, job development, job placement and life skills training.  Currently six area school systems contract with The Arc to provide a transition from school to the world of work. This is accomplished by providing individualized person-centered training and 1:1 job exploration. The goal of this program is to provide transition to successful employment and independence when the student ages out of the school system at age 21.  We provide guided job exploration for appropriate work opportunities