Instead of the want ads or the Job Service, Squires sought his new employee through the EmployAbilities office of Opportunity Resources. And Hogan connected with a job far more stable and lucrative than the cleaning and lawn-work stints she'd had before.
“I hit the jackpot in here,” Hogan said. “Stamping checks can be a drag, but I like the mail runs. I get to see all the different offices.”
“This road made a lot more sense to us,” Squires said. “We certainly had a need. We had a lot of basic office functions that were being done by other employees. We wanted to find somebody who's looking for a life-changing opportunity. This is now one of the most important things in her life. Not a lot of people can say that about their job.”
EmployAbilities employment services director Hal Pulling said his office has been helping clients break into the work force since 1985. Despite that track record, many misconceptions remain around the kind of workers he represents and which employers might benefit from them.
“There isn't a real class or type of work we specialize in,” Pulling said. “Our whole mission is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. And we get a real variety of skills and abilities.”
Hogan contends with a frozen shoulder that limits use of her arm, and a mental disability. With the help of a job coach and an easy-rolling mail cart, she zips through Blackfoot's sprawling Russell Street campus. There are eight buildings and warehouses, all with both postal and internal mail to distribute.
Other people in Pulling's 35-deep labor pool come from state or Veterans Administration vocational rehabilitation programs. They include military veterans with war injuries as well as people with physical and mental disabilities. Their skills have ranged from general clerical duties to welding, nursing and phlebotomy.
Pulling's staff works with employers to ensure a correct fit between the worker and the job. That includes training or coaching of the worker, and advice for rest of the firm's supervisors about any special needs, how to adapt the workplace and similar issues.
“We'll negotiate with them to get the best job match we can,” Pulling said. “In this particular case, Blackfoot called us. That's really exciting.”
Squires said given Montana's tight labor market, it makes sense to keep places like EmployAbilities in mind. It also helped him realize a childhood ambition.
“My father ran a grocery store, and I remember he hired a gentleman with a disability to clean the meat shop. I still remember that gentleman and think a lot about what my dad did to help him out over the years. Our experience with Paula and Hal's organization has been so positive. I have no doubt that's one of the places we're going to look when we need people.”
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com
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