December 10th, 2009
Lynnae Ruttledge has been appointed as the new Commissioner of the Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration by President Barack Obama.
Ruttledge served as the Director of the Washington Department of Social and Health Service, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation since 2005. She was responsible for leading Washington’s vocational rehabilitation program – working annually with over 23,000 individuals with significant disabilities to achieve their vocational goals. Previously, Ruttledge served in leadership positions at the Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services for more than 25 years. Ruttledge received the Washington Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management in 2007.
As a person born with a disability, Ruttledge received assistance from the vocational rehabilitation program and graduated from the Northern Michigan University with a B.A. in Education.
Posted in News |
November 12th, 2009
by Todd Dunnington
As a social enterprise, Skills Inc. is constantly weaving and linking our non-profit mission with our business enterprise.
For the past 40+ years we have been successfully carrying out our mission to train and employ persons with disabilities: 70% of our employees have an identified disability. Over the years we have also developed manufacturing processes which have enabled Skills to become recognized as a leading aerospace supplier.
With 300+ employees, we are one of the largest aerospace suppliers in Washington State, meeting stringent quality and governmental standards. In recent years, we have found new ways to expand our impact by joining forces with partners in the community who also have a goal of providing services to persons with disabilities.
In this newsletter, you will read about this expanded relationship and the internal structure and activities at Skills that make this possible. As a designated Community Rehabilitation Program, we are working with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assess and place individuals who have turned to the state for employment assistance. We also train and teach high school interns from Federal Way and Enumclaw School Districts. These, and other initiatives, are allowing us to expand our social enterprise model. Linking the social and enterprise missions at Skills Inc. is a win-win for all involved.
Posted in CEO's Corner |
November 12th, 2009
Posted in Newsletters |
November 1st, 2009
Skills Inc. has joined the Community Employment ALLIANCE (CEA), formerly the Rehabilitation Enterprise of Washington.
The CEA is a new advocacy organization with a membership comprised of Employment Service Providers interested in promoting employment for persons with disabilities. This organization was founded to combat the disproportionally high unemployment rate among persons with disabilities; only 22% of persons with disabilities are employed compared with 71% of those without disabilities. The CEA’s main focus is to transform the workplace thereby eliminating the widespread misconceptions and stereotypes that stand in the way of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The CEA aims to accomplish their mission through two main initiatives: transforming the service delivery system and transforming service providers.
Skills Inc. looks forward to improving our employment practices while having a positive impact in our community.
Posted in News |
October 1st, 2009
This October, the Washington State Business Leadership Network (WSBLN) celebrates Disability Mentoring Month in Washington by connecting many students with disabilities to employers to do a career exploration in order to understand and experience a day in different jobs and companies.
Hosted by the WSBLN Career Explorations in partnership with Washington’s public and private employers for students with disabilities.
Get involved as a mentor and host a student. Your commitment would be to attend a two-hour informational session on August 26th at Bellevue College and to host a student(s) for 3-4 hours in your workplace in the month of October to allow them to explore your company and the careers available.
Forward the event flyer (PDF) to colleagues.
To register for this event, or for more information, contact Karen Walters at 206-427-7675 or karenwalters@wsbln.org
Posted in News |
