As subminimum wage employment is becoming a thing of the past, individuals are finding new employment opportunities in the community with help from local entities participating in the Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) Illinois Project.

This project, administered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, takes individuals who work at agencies with 14(c) certificates, in subminimum wage environments, and helps them get placed in competitive working environments in the community doing jobs that pay at least minimum wage.

Six locations, including The Workshop, were selected to be included in this project. These geographical representatives can be found in Galena, Dixon, Aurora, Crestwood, Waterloo and West Frankfort.

These locations went through an application process before being selected out of the few dozen applicants.

Jim Knauf, project manager, said this project funds agencies to help get “individuals that have been largely underserved when it comes to the VR (vocational rehabilitation) program” into a competitive working environment.

This includes not just those who work for subminimum wage agencies, but also transitional-age youth, so they enter into competitive working environments.

To help individuals get jobs, Cindy Foley and Kathy Thimmesch, employment specialists at The Workshop, work with people to help them figure out what they are interested in doing  and what skills they have. Individuals visit businesses to practice skills in the work world. Foley and Thimmesch listen to their goals and dreams.

They also work with the businesses to learn their mission and business needs to better match people with businesses. Employers can create jobs or hire individuals for existing jobs. Alissa Brooke, who helps with supported and customized employment in Virginia, has been a consultant with The Workshop and Kreider Services. Brooke has experience helping write job descriptions for needs businesses might not have realized they had.*

She said these people are valuable employees in a business relationship, not charity.

The jobs that Foley and Thimmesch are helping people get are at least minimum or commensurate wage for all people with similar experience and education.

Knauf clarified that “This is meant to be meaningful work and real work and they’re contributing to whatever business or organization or company that they happen to be working with … we’re placing people into positions that are making a difference and fulfilling a need in the community and providing that, but then providing the business, the workplace with the diversity that it deserves.”

Once on the job, Foley and Thimmesch help with training and support for the individual.

Brooke said 14(c) agencies were supposed to do training before employment in the community, but then individuals didn’t make that transition. Now they get trained while they are at work.

So far, Foley and Thimmesch have been able to help get individuals placed at Blaum Bros., Piggly Wiggly, Signcraft, Midwest Medical Associates and Culver’s.

Thimmesch said that the community is supportive and interested in this project.

The impact that being employed out in the community has on individuals is already starting to show. Thimmesch said that families are seeing more confidence, happiness and self-esteem after the individual starts working.

Foley recalled how an individual smiled and had a “twinkle in his eyes” and was excited for work again the next day after she picked him up at the end of his shift.

Foley said it’s a hard job but rewarding.

Knauf said that Foley and Thimmesch’s job is hard because changing the culture and placing people is difficult, but Brooke said, “They’re doing outstanding.”

“So they’re not only working with their people they support but then the businesses to let them know, yeah, they can and they (the individuals) can bring a lot to the table and to your company by just being in that workplace ….” Sharon Bergfeld, liaison and data collector for the project, said.

The Workshop had a goal of starting eight individuals in this process and has already met that goal months before the July benchmark. Five people have been employed in the community while others are still exploring.

Knauf said the state’s goal is to have 288 people in the project before October 2027.

This is a five-year project and The Workshop is already on year two. Bergfeld said the goal is for this process to be sustainable.

“We want to really create change that’s going to really impact (the) future and employers in the community, all in a positive way,” she said.

By Murphy Obershaw | murphy.obershaw@galgazette.com

This article was originally published in April 2 issue of The Galena Gazette. Republished with permission.