Helena Industries - serving those with disabilities in Helena Montana

HI Job Placement Advisory Council

The Job Placement Advisory Council (JPAC) is composed of Helena Industries/Montana Career Development Services (MCDS) staff members, community business people and others who are interested in assisting people with disabilities in finding gainful employment. The council meets on a regular basis to share information about the vocational needs of persons with disabilities in Helena, to advise MCDS Staff about employment opportunities and to develop options to help individuals with disabilities meet their employment goals.

The activities of JPAC are focused on helping people prepare for employment and assisting them in identifying job opportunities in the Helena community. These activities include:

JPAC members might be asked to meet with a person to do an “informational interview”. This interview would involve providing general information about the member's place of employment, types of job openings the member's business might typically have, the skills required for jobs in the member's business and walking through hiring procedures used in the member's business. These interviews provide the job seeker with information about jobs that might be of interest to them and with experience regarding what employers are looking for in prospective employees.
JPAC members share ideas for job leads that might help a particular individual find employment or that can be added to our "Job Bank".
JPAC members will be made aware of incentive programs such as Work Experience and On-The-Job Training. These programs provide opportunities for the potential employee to receive training and supervision from the employer, while the State of Montana's Vocational Rehabilitation Program covers or assists with the person's wages for a temporary time period.

The ongoing time commitment for a JPAC member is 1 - 2 hours per meeting. The meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. at the Department of Transportation on the third Wednesday of the following months: January, March, May, September & November. Lunch is provided. Any additional commitments are on a volunteer, situation-by-situation basis and would be limited to once or twice a year.

If you are interested in becoming a member of JPAC or know someone who might enjoy this opportunity, please contact Kerrie Reidelbach at 442-8632 or 459-1952 for more information.

Click here to see a listing of current JPAC members.