JOHNSTOWN -- A new partnership is set to give more people with disabilities direct access to job training. The commonwealth is partnering with CVS Health to have a mock store training setup at the Hiram G. Andrews Center in Johnstown.
Students will be able to take part in a six-week program, training them to be cashiers and pre-pharmacy technicians.
"On any given day, CVS Health has 900 to 1,200 vacancies, so our new workforce development program will train future employees for CVS in the areas of sales associate and pharmacy technician," said Jill Moriconi, director of the Hiram G. Andrews Center.
Tuesday was the official ribbon cutting at the Hiram G. Andrews Center for a mock CVS storefront and pharmacy training room.
Leslie Reis is the senior advisor for workforce initiatives at CVS Health.
"We have had a long-term commitment to individuals with disabilities,” Reis said. “We have a commitment to individuals that are underrepresented within a lot of organizations."
She said this new partnership in Pennsylvania is the second of seven centers in seven states to have the mock setup so far. All of those are part of the National Consortium of State Operated Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centers.
"This is truly a celebration--a celebration of partnership and a celebration of potential," said David DeNotaris, director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Pennsylvania Department of Labor.
DeNotaris believes people with disabilities are the largest untapped talent pool for employers.
"Like Gov. (Tom) Wolf says, it makes good business sense for the commonwealth to consider people with disabilities and we'll just continue to leverage our resources to help as many people as we can, be the best that they can be," DeNotaris said.
Those in the program will spend three weeks in the mock pharmacy at the center, mastering skills, and then three weeks in an externship, in a CVS pharmacy anywhere in Pennsylvania.
"So if you live in Allentown or Pittsburgh or Erie or Johnstown or anywhere in between, you could come to the training program, get the experience, so you could go to work and make money and be independent," DeNotaris said.
Students will be able to practice their skills at the register, working with actual items on the shelves, as well as working in the mock pharmacy, all while gaining customer service training.
"What we know is that it'll just help make them a little bit more successful when they get into a real store environment, without all of the pressure while they're training." Reis said.
While this opens the door to jobs at CVS. it will also help people with disabilities get jobs in other retail stores.
"We really believe this partnership is going to open doors, expand opportunities, raise expectations and improve opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as employers here in PA," DeNotaris said.
The program will start with about 15 to 20 students at first and then expand after that.
The next CVS mock setup will be in Arkansas in early November.
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