At MARC Inc. of Manchester, our Individualized Supported Employment (ISE) is an employment placement strategy in which a Job Coach and Job Developer places an individual into competitive employment by providing training and support. Overtime, the Job Coach gradually reduces time and assistance at the work site.
Jassontae and Mike, two individuals in the ISE program, were recognized by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) this past weekend for their dedication to Manchester High School’s (MHS) Athletic Program. Jassontae and Mike are a part of a working interview at MHS where they demonstrate their skills to see if the athletic program is a good fit for them.
Prior to working at MHS, Jassonate and Mike graduated from different MARC Inc. programs that helped prepare them for their employment. Project SEARCH is a nine month internship program that takes place entirely in the workplace whereas the VET program is an intensive 16-week course that blends classroom time with targeted, individually tailored internships. Both programs helped prepare Jassontae and Mike for their current employment at Manchester High School Athletic Program. “MARC Inc. has helped me with life skills and teamwork [while] encouraging [me to develop] more skills to be great in life and to become successful,” explained Jassontae.
Jassontae and Mike were interviewed about their job in MHS’s Athletic Program, sportsmanship, and their MHS alumnus pride. During MHS’s fall season, Jassontae and Mike worked alongside the Boy’s and Girl’s soccer teams to retrieve the balls during the games, speeding up gameplay. “I like [how] the soccer players have great teamwork and good sportsmanship and enthusiasm…I was cheering them on while being a ball girl on the sidelines, ” said Jassontae. They were both recognized on Senior Night for their exemplary work and team pride during the season.
To see Jassontae and Mike’s article, stay tuned for it to go live in November on the CIAC website.
