August 15 • 2019 13
jn
jews d
in
the
Training Workers
JVS Human Services has two new
facilities to help individuals with dis-
abilities become fluent in skills need-
ed in a growing industry.
A new simulated supermarket set-
ting in the organization’
s Southfield
headquarters (29699 Southfield
Road) is training potential employees
to shop for online grocery pick-up.
In the agency’
s Detroit location
(4250 Woodward Ave.), a new simu-
lated warehouse, sorting and fulfill-
ment center is training individuals
with disabilities to understand the
requirements of such jobs and prac-
tice and improve their skills prior to
job placement.
“Meaningful employment is a huge
stepping-stone toward independence
and self-worth for everyone, includ-
ing those with disabilities,” said James
Willis, vice president, Workforce
Development & Rehabilitation of JVS
Human Services.
Kroger, which has worked with
JVS Human Services for many years
placing employees with disabilities
at their stores throughout Metro
Detroit, has just employed a “gradu-
ate” of the simulated shopping train-
ing for its curbside grocery pick-up
program, called Kroger Pickup.
At JVS’
shopping market in
Southfield, job seekers learn to
retrieve and read a customer’
s shop-
ping list on their phone, to search
“supermarket” aisles for items
ordered, to weigh produce, to scan
all the items and to bag them all up.
Potential employees are also thrown
curveballs, situations where items are
not available, and they are taught to
call a customer offering alternatives.
At JVS’
s simulated warehouse in
Detroit, individuals spend time put-
ting boxes on conveyor belts, pallets
or other locations so that products
can be shipped off to consumers.
Opportunities are available to
tryout “picking jobs,” which involve
reading a computer screen for the
location of products that need to be
selected for shipping. Individuals are
assessed for accuracy and speed and
can be given adjustments to improve
performances. So far, 21 workers
have been placed in warehouse ful-
fillment jobs after completing this
program.
For details, contact Lydia Gray at
JVS Human Services, (248) 233-4480
or lgray@jvshumanservices.org.
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