Updated
Updated · Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice · Aug 3
Allied Services Expands 60-Year Disabled Employment Program Through 15-Year Business Partnerships
Updated
Updated · Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice · Aug 3

Allied Services Expands 60-Year Disabled Employment Program Through 15-Year Business Partnerships

2 articles · Updated · Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice · Aug 3

Summary

  • Allied Services said its Work Services Program gives people with intellectual and physical disabilities paid work while building employment, communication and life skills through placements matched to each participant’s abilities.
  • More than 60 years of partnerships with local businesses underpin the program, with Allied handling tasks such as packaging, sorting and production work that executives say can be done consistently and cost efficiently.
  • A 15-year relationship with Dempsey’s Uniform & Linen Supply in Jessup and ongoing work with Circle Bolt and Nut in Kingston were highlighted as examples of long-running, mutually beneficial contracts.
  • Scranton and Stroudsburg vocational centers also prepare participants for broader employment, and Allied said some workers have stayed 45-plus years while others later moved into community jobs.
  • Program leaders said the work offers more than wages, giving participants independence, confidence, social connection and a visible link between their labor and products used in the community.

Insights

While workshop programs offer vital social bonds, do they truly bridge the gap to competitive community employment for disabled workers?
After six decades of success, what hidden challenges keep more local businesses from tapping into this dedicated workforce?
How does a 1959 vocational model continue to outpace modern corporate solutions for repetitive manufacturing tasks today?