Progressive Employment Concepts

At Progressive Employment Concepts our mission is to provide opportunities for people with developmental disabilities which promote dignity, respect, and inclusion so that all our lives and communities are enriched. We are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. Our agency operates under the belief that ALL people have a right and a responsibility to participate in all facets of their communities- this includes work. We strive to find the right match for individuals and employers to make this a reality. Since its inception, our agency has been committed to serving individuals that other agencies consider unemployable. Many of the individuals we serve have multiple and significant barriers to employment. Several individuals have been in State Development Centers, other individuals cannot use the traditional convention of verbal communication, instead relying on the use of augmented communication systems. We provide in-depth assessment, discovery, and skillful job matching so individual are successful.

A distinguishing quality of our agency is keeping the integrity of the people we serve by supporting only direct hire at or above minimum wage employment, while other agencies serve and support people with disabilities at sheltered segregated employment opportunities or assist people in finding contract employment often at wages below minimum wage. We strive to foster not only employment but the relationship between employer and employee that is so valuable.

In all four of our offices we assist people to find and maintain employment, volunteer at community services, take classes at community colleges, and to start and operate their own small businesses. We provide specific assistance in the areas of job development, identifying ideal conditions of employment, job matching, job carving, customized employment, adaptation or accommodation research and implementation, resume writing, interviewing skills, learning to ride the bus, banking, budgeting, communication skills, and social skills, health and wellness, business plan development, marketing, and business finance support. We hold high expectations of the people we support and ourselves. We stick with people, and people succeed!