Employment Endeavors, LLC proudly serves individuals who are Deaf, DeafBlind, Blind, Low Vision, Hard-of-Hearing and Newly Arrived Immigrants. To begin services with EELLC you will typically need to be referred to us through a state vocational agency such as Vocational Rehabilitation Services or State Services for the Blind. If you have any questions about the referral process please contact us and we will do our best to provide you with the information that you need to begin the process.

Employment Endeavors, LLC has staff that is fluent in American Sign Language and is able to provide direct services to individuals who use American Sign Language or sign tactically. Additionally, we work with individuals who do not use any sign language at all. We offer a full range of employment services and all employment plans are individually designed to meet your skills, experience and interests.

We work with individuals from a wide range of educational backgrounds and have placed individuals in State and Federal agencies, private and corporate settings and within industries such as but not limited to; Hospitality, Food Service, Customer Service, Human Resources, Retail, Janitorial and Administrative Assistant.

Please take a moment to look through the services that we offer. Feel free to contact us with any questions that you might regarding these services or any part of the process at EELLC.

• Independent Living Skills - The Transition Hub

  The Transition Hub
  
  The Transition Hub is a place where you can learn or brush up on any Independent Living Skills that you would like to address. The Hub will open on October 1st, 2011 and will be equipped with a mock studio-sized apartment that will have an operating stove, refrigerator and kitchen sink. Curriculum will be used to teach the following independent living skills (ILS). Some topics include but are not limited to:

  • Filling out housing applications
  • Money management and setting up a budget
  • Setting up and maintaining a checking / savings account
  • The pros and cons of using credit cards
  • The basics of time management
  • Understanding and riding public transportation systems
  • Maintaining a healthy living environment
  • Personal safety
  • Buying groceries, clothing and other amenities
  • How to use a public laundry facility
  • How to locate and utilize medical resources
  • How to access local resources

  
  Who can benefit from the services of the Transition Hub?
  
  

  • Students who are in a Transition program.
  • Newly arrived immigrants learning how to navigate a new culture and its systems while within a safe and supportive environment.
  • Adults who might need some extra assistance or support while transitioning from a short-term or long-term life event.

  
  EELLC staff is very patient and will foster a positive and hopefully at times, a fun learning environment!

• Braille Training

  Braille is a written code used primarily by blind and visually impaired people. It is a variation of one to six dots punched through paper. There are basically two parts to Braille: grade 1 and grade 2. Grade 1 is the alphabet, punctuation and numbers. Grade 2 Braille is a combination of grade 1 plus several contractions. There are over 300 contractions and they help people to read and type Braille at a much faster rate. Contractions reduce the number of characters in a word and that greatly reduces the number of pages and helps to speed up the production of a Braille book or magazine.
  
  EE’s Braille instructor is DeafBlind and is a user of Braille since childhood and is qualified to teach both Grades 1 and 2. Blind and visually impaired children and adults, as well as sighted teachers, social workers and other professionals may benefit from learning Braille.
  
  For Braille Training please contact, Steve Oglesbee at soglesbee@eellc.net or by texting him at 612-615-1111.

• Transition Services

  Employment Endeavors, LLC provides a full range of employment services in assisting the student in preparing, obtaining and sustaining competitive employment. All Employment Endeavors staff that work with students who are Deaf are able to sign and are knowledgeable about Deaf Culture and the particular challenges that a Deaf individual may face while engaged in the employment process. Employment Endeavors works very closely with the student, the school’s Transition Program staff and the student’s family believing that a team approach is a formula for success. All employment plans and services are assessed according to the individual student’s needs.

  Job Seeking & Preparation Skills (either on an individual basis or a classroom setting) Employment Endeavors works with Transition students in preparing for competitive employment by:

  • Assisting the student identify a job goal.
  • Compiling pertinent work and volunteer history information.
  • Develop a resume.
  • Develop a cover-letter.
  • Teach how to properly fill out applications.
  • Discuss how criminal history can impact future employment opportunities.
  • Preparing for an interview.
  • Interview practice.
  • Discuss and role play work culture & expectations.
  • Discuss and role play job retention techniques.
  • Address coping skills on the job.
  • Identify Deaf and Hearing culture considerations in a work place.
  • Promote self-advocacy skills.

  Paid Work Experiences – All work experiences are paid and based out in the community. Work experiences help identify vocational interests and skills, assess work tolerance, and build the student’s work history in preparation for employment after completion of high school.

  Placement- Once a job goal has been identified and the student’s job readiness skills have been determined, Employment Endeavors will assist the student in finding employment that meets their interests, skills, and preference with respect to geographic location. Employment Endeavors provides interpreting services during the interview process and educates the employer on what accommodations might be needed.

  Job Coaching- Once the student has been hired on by an employer, Employment Endeavors provides job coaching assistance by ensuring that the student is trained properly on the job and assists with communication between the employer and the student. The ultimate goal is that the student will be able to work independently on the job without the assistance of a job coach.

  Independent Living Skills (ILS) – Employment Endeavors is very aware that many factors are tied into obtaining and sustaining successful employment. Employment Endeavors provides training in the following areas but not limited to; budgeting, bus training, accessing community resources and services, preparing for housing, and health and wellness. A more detailed account of EE's ILS services can be found under the Independent Living Skills - The Transition Hub link above.

• Job Seeking Skills Training (one-to-one and classroom settings)

  Job Seeking Skills prepares an individual in their job searching and preparation process. You may have already experienced that how you go about finding, applying and interviewing for a job is a completely different process today than what you may have been used to. Sometimes this can be a confusing and daunting process. The more prepared an individual is for their job search, interview and understands the process; the better their chances are of success. This training can take place in a classroom setting with multiple students in attendance or can be taught on an individual basis. Some of the learning objectives are but not limited to:

  • Identify job goals
  • Compile pertinent work history information
  • Develop a resume
  • Develop a cover-letter
  • Learn how to properly fill out applications
  • Learn how to search for jobs online
  • Learn how to fill out and submit applications online
  • Discuss how criminal history can impact future employment opportunities
  • Prepare for an interview
  • Conduct a mock interview
  • Discuss work culture & employer expectations
  • Review job retention techniques and coping skills
  • When to disclose a disability during the job search process
  • Examine Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture considerations in a work place
  • Self-advocacy skills

• Paid Work Experiences / Community Based Evaluations

  If you are returning to the workforce after a prolong period of absence, transitioning through a life event, new to the workforce, recently immigrated to the United States, or looking to explore a change in a career path then EELLC’s Paid Work Experience / Community Based Evaluation program is for you! The purpose for having an on-the-job eval or paid work experience can be for one or more of the following reasons:
  
  

  • Career Exploration: Sometimes an individual is making a career change and is uncertain as to what kind of industry they want to purse. The individual may also be uncertain if they have the skills or stamina for that type of industry. Employment Endeavors, LLC will then work with the individual in setting up identified work experiences with a variety of employers. When the evaluations are complete, the individual has a better sense of what career path they want to pursue.
  
  
  • Closing Work Gap History: Sometimes an individual has been out of the workforce for awhile for various reasons. Paid Work Experiences give the individual an opportunity to get back into work-mode in a methodical manner all the while closing the gap in-between employment. The paid work experiences are added to the individual’s resume as recent / current work history making the individual more marketable in this competitive employment environment.
  
  
  • Transition Periods: The individual may be transitioning from one of the following; high school into the work world, returning to work after a long absence from the workforce, transitioning from a life event or establishing some work experience in United States as a newly arrived immigrant. Paid work experiences for this individual allow them the opportunity for career exploration and for establishing a current work history.

  
  
  How the Program Works

  Employment Endeavors, LLC will work closely with you and your referring agency in determining what kind of position, skills, and setting you would like to explore. All Paid Work Experiences / Community Based Evaluations are community based; meaning on an actual employer job-site.

  Once an employer has been located to provide a job-site for the Paid Work Experience, you will be paid an hourly wage for the work you perform on the job. An EELLC representative will be on-site with you at all times. A Paid Work Experience can last anywhere between 3 days to a couple of months depending on the needs and agreement of all parties involved. At the end of the Paid Work Experience you may receive a written recommendation and can be used as a reference on your job search. The employer is under no obligation to hire you after the Paid Work Experience.

  Potential Outcomes of the Program
  

  • Confidence in your work abilities.
  • Information on what skills you might need updating.
  • A clearer career direction.
  • Possible work reference from the employer where the work experience was conducted.
  • Recent work experience to add to your resume and work history.
  • Possible employment with the employer where the work experience was conducted, although not expected.

• Job Placement

  EELLC works with you in moving forward and through the employment process. Your employment plan is customer driven incorporating your identified job goal, skills, experience and interests. The Placement Services at EELLC will partner with you in identifying, obtaining and sustaining integrated employment within the community. Some of the Placement Services include but are not limited to:
  
  Individualized Placement Plan & Services

  • Identifying job goals
  • Job-seeking skills assessment
  • Resume & cover letter development
  • Filling out and submitting job applications
  • Job search assistance
  • Interview practice
  • Addressing criminal history (if applicable)
  • Setting up job Interviews
  • Attending job interviews with customers (if requested)
  • Arranging job coach services when hired (if requested)
  • Advocating and educating employers on ADA requirements
  • Ensuring that accommodations are obtained and in place on the work-site once hired

• Job Coaching (OCS)

  Once the customer is hired onto the job, EELLC provides Job Coaching services,in the form of an Occupation Communication Specialist (OCS). The OCS is provided at the request of the referring agency and customer, and at no cost to the customer or employer. The amount of time the OCS assists the customer on the job will vary depending on the needs of the customer and the employer. EELLC has job coaches that are fluent in sign language. Additionally, EELLC serves individuals who do not use sign language.
  
  The Job Coach (OCS) assists in the following:

  • Ensuring that the customer is trained and familiar with their duties on the job.
  • Ensuring that the customer has awareness of the employer’s polices and expectations.
  • Educating and exploring opportunities with the employer, co-workers and customer on successful integration into the company’s work environment.
  • Ensuring that the referring agency, customer and the employer are satisfied with the laid out expectations and performances of all parties: customer, employer, and referring agency.

• Long Term Followup

  Long term followup services may be requested by the customer or employer. Typically, in long-term follow-up services EELLC assists the customer and employer in; training for newly assigned duties, potential promotional opportunities, on-going trainings, staff meetings, or other needs as identified by the customer and employer.

• Deaf & DeafBlind Culture and Hard-of-Hearing Awareness Training

  For Employers
  
  Employment Endeavors, LLC is available to provide Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard-of-Hearing Awareness training for employers who are interested in learning more about adding diversity to their current workforce, or if the employer would like further awareness training to ensure that their overall work environment continues to integrate individuals already employed in the workforce. The trainings are designed according to the employer’s needs and can last anywhere from 1 hour to 1 week. Options for trainings can vary from a one-time training opportunity to on-going such as once a month.
  
  For Law Enforcement & Public Safety
  
  Wendy DeVore, the Organization Executive of Employment Endeavors, LLC served as a former sworn peace officer and founded the Deaf SAFE program with the Minneapolis Police Department, a community policing outreach program to the Deaf Community. The following trainings are available to Law Enforcement and Public Safety agencies alike. All trainings can be designed to meet the needs and time requirements of the agency:
  

  • 10 week American Sign Language / Deaf Culture Awareness classes specific to Law Enforcement & Public Safety
  • Deaf Culture Awareness
  • Hard-of-Hearing Awareness
  • DeafBlind Awareness

  
  For Community Groups and Agencies
  
  Public Safety trainings are also available for community groups and agencies. These trainings typically address but are not limited to:
  
  

  • Informing community members on general public safety matters
  • Understanding policing procedures
  • Accessing 9-1-1 services
  • Traffic stop safety

  
  If interested in the trainings above please contact Wendy DeVore at wdevore@eellc.net or by calling 651-492-7346.
  
  DeafBlind Awareness Training for Interpreters & Schools
  
  Steve Oglesbee, the DeafBlind Specialist of Employment Endeavors, LLC is available to provide workshop opportunities for interpreters or individuals who are interested in working with the DeafBlind population. Steve is also available to present at schools as a guest speaker for classes that are interested in learning more about the DeafBlind experience.
  
  For DeafBlind Awareness Training please contact Steve Oglesbee at soglesbee@eellc.net or by texting him at 612-615-1111.