Three years ago, family problems forced Joyce Simmons to take over as caregiver for her three young grandchildren. To make ends meet for the children, she has had to rely on public assistance.

Deborah Doyal's nine-year-old daughter, Kayla, has cerebral palsy. Until recently, Doyal was unable to find someone with the skills necessary to care for Kayla so she could go to work. She too has had to rely on public assistance.

Simmons, 47, and Doyal, 35, are now involved in a special training program at Diversified Educational Training and Manufacturing Company, Inc. (DETAMC) in Wichita. They are two of about 50 clients in the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services' KanWork program preparing for employment at Raytheon, a Wichita aircraft manufacturer.

The Raytheon/DETAMC/SRS collaboration is one of several joint ventures between the public and private sectors in Wichita paying off for both businesses and people. Raytheon joins the ranks of Cessna Aircraft Co., Evcon Industries, Southwest Manufacturing, and many smaller businesses in taking advantage of a ready-made job pool of SRS clients in the KanWork program. KanWork is the Kansas version of the federal Job Opportunities and Basic Skills program which provides training and employment services for public assistance recipients.

SRS and DETAMC began collaboration in 1992. George Johnson, the founder and chief executive officer of DETAMC, said working with Wichita businesses to train KanWork clients for specific employment is one key to his company's continued success. Besides job-specific training, DETAMC provides a general training program, training for the General Equivalency Degree test, and life skills training. DETAMC also hires KanWork clients to rehabilitate houses under a contract with the city of Wichita.

We tailor classes to what they need," Johnson said. Each of the projects have different standards for admission."

Johnson said job retention rate of workers hired after specific job training at DETAMC is much higher than for workers hired from the general population after companies advertise openings. He said the interested company and DETAMC set up specific job requirements, and the training is geared toward meeting those requirements. SRS KanWork staff are also involved in screening clients to match their job skills to skills needed at the business. KanWork staff also work directly with clients at DETAMC to help them succeed in the program.

Linda Sorrell, Employment Preparation Services chief for SRS in Wichita, said the fact clients have a strong possibility of a job if they successfully complete training is a excellent motivator.

There is no point in training in a vacuum," she said. We get the most success from the promise of a job."

At DETAMC, KanWork clients know they have to show commitment. There is a timeclock and attendance checks.

It's a 40-hour (per week) commitment," Johnson said. Julius McLaurian, a retired school principal who is DETAMC's academic manager, said they work to remove all barriers clients have in preparing to work.

We try to erase all excuses," he said.

With Raytheon, potential workers will need to know how to read

blueprints and written job specifications. In class, they have concentrated on math skills, including learning to work with equations and the metric measuring system. Raytheon will supply materials and a trainer for the final part of the training program. A final test for class members will be creation of a metal box out of sheet metal based on a blueprint.

It requires them to show different kinds of riveting and fastener skills," said Joe Fehrmann, manager of employment and training for Raytheon. Fehrmann said although there is no guarantee of a job at Raytheon for successful completion of the DETAMC/Raytheon training, he expected an offer will be made. The salary for beginning sheet metal workers at Raytheon is $9.50 per hour.

It can go up quite a bit from there," Fehrmann said.

In interviews, several KanWork clients involved in the Raytheon/DETAMC/SRS training program expressed optimism they will learn the necessary skills.

Des Moines Washington, 28, said she has learned a lot just since the class began. Washington and her four children have been on public assistance two years.

"I've learned a lot," she said. So far, I'm pretty upbeat. I'm confident I'll get a job."

Jason Ellison, 23, said the opportunity to work for good wages at Raytheon is something he wants to take advantage of. He said he has had a number of previous jobs, but nothing steady.

A lot of people don't have this kind of opportunity, or don't take advantage of the opportunity when it comes," Ellison said.

Simmons, with grandchildren to care for, said she and her classmates have high hopes.

With this, all of us are giving it our very best," she said. It means a better future."

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001