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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1976-06-30, Page 16Page 1 6 -Citizens News, June 30, 1976 ARC institutes outside placements , q Something relatively new is being tried at ARC Industries Workshop in Dashwood these days — outside placements for the trainees. ARC, as many people know, is a sheltered workshop for the mentally retarded, and to a certain extent, the physically disabled. The new program is in the experimental stage at the moment, involving four of ABC's trainees. Although ARC has always had a policy to place capable trainees in outside jobs, the new program is aimed at providing an employment at- mosphere even before the trainee has "graduated" from the workshop. Itt an attempt to give trainees a feel for the outside work environment and at the same time provide the placement officer with a better idea of an individual's preparedness for that environment. Through the efforts of ARC director, Don Campbell, and RollieMcCaffrey;owneriof Exeter Furniture Factory, an ARC trainee, Les East has been placed at the factory and seems to be doing well. He has been on the job— since June 7 and if his favorable work record continues, his placement could turn into a full- time position with the company. Three other trainees are being employed by the Village Inn Retreat Centre in Grand Bend. Although their jobs will only last for the summer, the experience which they gain there could take them to full-time outside em- ployment in the near future. Campbell says that placement of the trainees has to be Un- dertaken with caution, not only because it would be a mistake to place a trainee in a position which was beyond his training or capability but also because it can affect pensions from the Ministry of Social and Family Services. Under the pension scheme, once a pensioner takes on a full-time job he is cut off from the pension and it can take between three to six months to get pack on pension if the job does not work out. For these reasons, Campbell is careful about placing trainees and welcomes the new program which allows them to gain outside work experience while technically remaining on the ARC payroll. As in Les East's case, once a trainee has proved himself, in an outside job situation, placement becomes an easier task with fewer risks in- volved. "The people who employ our trainees are not after cheap labor", Campbell says. "They're looking for dependable workers who can turn out quality work- manship and some of our people can fulfill that need." Two other ARC trainees have returned from a successful three- week job experience with the Roder Poultry Plant in Arkona. "l'hey did very very well", Campbell comments. In addition to these placements ARC has contracted with several local businesses to provide outside maintenance jobs for the summer, Trainees will be cutting lawns, trimming hedges, and caring for the grounds throughout the village. Campbell feels that it is im- portant for the trainees, who he prefers to call employees, to gain as much outisde contact in the community as possible. The experience is not only valuable for the ARC people, but enables the citizens of a community to become acquainted with han- dicapped persons, perhaps realizing that what they have in common with these people out- weighs any differences. "There are a great many op- portunities within a rural set- ting", Campbell, observes. He is new to the director's position in Dashwood, working previously as a consultant with the ARC Workshop in Sarnia. He believes that a small town atmosphere is beneficial to trainees of the workshop because there are less dangers and ob- stacles than in the city and the ' faces of store clerks and residents soon. become familiar.. While the outside placement concept will probably play an even more prominent role in the future, the majority of the 44 persons at the ARC Workshop in Dashwood receive their training within that facility. The building is divided into several different areas which correspond to programs which are offered. Everyone has a job to do and often more than one. In the course of a year's time, ARC employees will have gained knowledge and skills in several different fields. In the kitchen, employees prepare the noon -day meal as well as snacks for coffee breaks and dinners for special occasions. The workshop, itself, provides an opportunity for trainees to take up woodworking and assembly experience. ARC employees .are responsible for maintaining the building in an efficient manner and sparkling walls and floors attest to their diligence. ARC's office is not unlike of- fices in most business operations and Campbell says that every attempt is made to provide a us�ness- a e a mosp ere, filing system is maintained by ARC employees who also answer the phone and handle initial office contacts. In another area of the building, a crafts room is equipped with a variety of materials and tools to allow the trainees a chance to try numerous art forms. Several ARC people can be found there at any given time hooking rugs, doing string art or perhaps macrame. Outside the building, em- ployees are engaged in keeping the grounds trim and clean. There is one similarity which seems to go with all of the work activities and it's called hap- piness. While the working en- vironment at ARC is disciplined, providing the business -like at- mosphere that Campbell wants, people are friendly and their enthusiasm pervades not only relationships with fellow em- ployees, but work activities as well. Whether washing windows or concentrating on a difficult pattern in a rug, the employees have an exuberance seldom found in most office situations. Plan two courses Two extension courses, a first year anthropology course and a second year sociology of criminology course, will be of- fered by the University of Western Ontario residents in and around Grand Bend this coming fall term. The courses will be taught at Bosanquet school between Thedford and Forest. i In the last courses UWO of- fered, over half the enrollment wasimade! up from residents of Grand Bend said Dr. Angela Armitt, director of Extension courses and Summer School at UWO. • Most of the students in the last course offered were women said Dr. Armitt, many of them i mothers. The courses begin in Sep- tember and run through to March. Both are worth a full credit towards a B.A. Usually, one course is the maximum taken-- by students in any year. The anthropology is open to anyone but the second year sociology requires a prerequesite of first year sociology. A person wishing to register does not necessarily need Grade 13, as they can enter as mature students. Mature students are usually classified as people who have been working for two years and are over 21, although the classification is flexible said Dr. Armitt. One course costs $125, not in- cluding texts, and will be taught by a university professor who will travel to the school. Each course will take about three hours each week, usually on one night. Dr. Armitt said people wishing to enroll should do so now, by . writing for admission papers to the Registrar's office or the Summer School and Extension Department at the university, Mad Is 270 370 570 Attention C RN - BEAN PRODUCERS Discover New Ways To Higher Profits From Your Corn and Bean Crops Avoid Long Lineups at Elevators DRY YOUR CROP WITH A TOX-O-WIK RECIRCULATING BATCH GRAIN DRYER �e 'gin Pr vers See h LILLI BEA coMBI NES Deliver A Better Quality Bean From Field To Elevator Than Anything on the Market See And Hear Al! About These Machines First Hand At C. G. FARM SUPPLY LTD. Tuesday, July 6 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.; 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Company Personnel On Hand To Answer Your Questions FREE REFRESHMENTS