Oakland County Employment Initiative Providing More Job Opportunities!
The Oakland County Employment Initiative continues to grow with the addition of new job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Started in 2015, the Initiative is a partnership between vocational rehabilitation, community mental health, education, and Oakland County.
The initiative started with the vision of Larry O’brecht, a former county commissioner from Lake Orion, who connected with Cathy Schmidt, Oakland Schools Transition Consultant, Cindy Burdi, MORC Employment Developer, and Lori Taylor, Director for Oakland County Human Resources to bring the vision to reality. This employment partnership is targeted toward individuals with disabilities that have aged out of education and are connected to services through vocational rehabilitation or community mental health. The inaugural launch saw 6 people hired by the county through the Health Department north and south offices.
The success of the partnership has led to the commitment from Oakland County to expand the employment opportunities. The team has put the word out to the employment services providers including MI Rehabilitation Services, New Horizons, Judson, JVS, Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, and others in the network to identify candidates for the new positions. Several new departments are joining in the opportunity to tap into a talent pool that often gets overlooked in traditional hiring processes.
Information Technology – Workstation Services & Materials Management
Sheriff Office – Jail Library
Information Technology – Administration
Mailroom
Sheriff Office – Records
Human Resources
The continued growth and success of this partnership follows the movement set by Walgreens, Meijer, and other larger companies to open doors to employment for individuals with disabilities, recognizing the talents and contributions of a diverse workforce.
