Updated
Updated · The Times Leader · Jul 26
Allied Services Trains 500+ Disabled Workers Through Northeast Pennsylvania Business Partnerships
Updated
Updated · The Times Leader · Jul 26

Allied Services Trains 500+ Disabled Workers Through Northeast Pennsylvania Business Partnerships

1 articles · Updated · The Times Leader · Jul 26

Summary

  • More than 500 people with intellectual and physical disabilities now receive vocational training and paid work through Allied Services’ Work Services Program in Scranton and Stroudsburg.
  • Since 1959, the program has paired structured job instruction with individualized support, helping participants build workplace, communication and life skills while some move into competitive community employment.
  • Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply has relied on the program for more than 15 years, with Allied participants restoring about 30% of its metal hangers—tens of thousands each month.
  • Allied also provides manufacturing, packaging, assembly and janitorial services for regional companies including Weiler Abrasives and Run-Rite, pitching dependable quality and lower hiring and training costs.
  • The nonprofit said it is seeking new regional partners, arguing each contract expands paid work, skills development and independence for people with disabilities.

Insights

How do local businesses balance cost-effective labor with ethical supported employment practices for workers with physical and intellectual disabilities?
Could automation threaten the manual jobs that empower hundreds of disabled workers in this long-running vocational program?
What is the true success rate of transitioning disabled individuals from structured workshops into highly competitive community careers?