ATHOL—International service organization the Polus Center, based in Athol, was recently awarded two grants totaling $1 million to continue and expand its human services career training.

One of the $500,000 Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success grants – funded by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corporation through Massachusetts’ Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund – went toward the creation of an Autism Supports Training Program.

“We’re really a training-to-work program,” said program director Katie Moura. “So we’re helping support people who are unemployed or underemployed and looking to get into the field of supporting people with autism. Whether that’s in a school setting, in an in-home setting, or adult support—whatever people are interested in.”

Moura explained that the program is for those starting out in their careers and those looking to switch gears, “To have some sort of background as they’re applying for jobs, just to give them… a leg up in the interview and hiring process.”

Moura added that the program’s goal is to give participants a background of knowledge about what autism is and strategies for best supporting autistic individuals. A priority is connecting participants with those with lived experience, and many of the lecturers are autistic themselves.

“No matter what degree you may have, there’s no more valuable experience than lived experience,” Moura explained. “I can’t speak to someone’s experience if I haven’t experienced it. So, we try to get a lot of different people with lived experience because also, everyone’s experience is different.”

The Polus Center partnered with Fitchburg State University to offer an optional two-week extension to the program focused especially on training for those looking to become paraprofessional. The roughly 10 students who opted for this option completed the program Thursday, Moura said. Now, many of them are in the process of applying for jobs at schools for the fall.

“During the course, we’re working on resumes, cover letters, interview practice, really just geared toward the field,” Moura said, adding that different fields have different expectations for these materials.

‘I’m glad that I did it’

Jonathan Heimburg of Leominster is among those to recently complete the program. His career took him into many different arenas, including library work, retail sales, and law. Heimburg explained that after his law career was put on hold to care for his elderly parents and a year of unemployment, Heimburg discovered the Autism Supports Training Program and decided to enroll.

“I’ve always been into helping professions… So I saw this as a natural progression,” Heimburg explained. “It was a very positive experience. I’m glad that I did it.”

Heimburg said he initially thought he would have preferred an in-person program, but appreciated the opportunity to learn with people from across the state.

“Help and useful opportunities come when you least expect them,” Heimburg said. He added that he encourages “people that are unemployed, or think that they don’t have options” to seek out support from MassHire.

“There are opportunities and there are grants… So whatever type of skillset you have, there are programs and trainings that can help you. I would just say, keep looking, and be positive,” he said. “And don’t give up.”

Heimburg hopes to work with college-aged students through a disability services program at a college or university.

The first class graduated 18 attendees, three of which have already found jobs, according to Moura. The workforce grant will cover three more classes over the course of two years, the next of which will begin in January 2025. The program is held over Zoom, and Moura emphasized that a goal is to connect with interested individuals across Massachusetts.

“We really want to work on spreading the word about Polus and the program,” Moura said. “Just really finding those candidates that are passionate about that kind of work. That’s really what we base our enrollment on who really wants to do this? Regardless of work background, personal background. We’re just looking for the people who are passionate about this work.”

Moura added that something unique about the program is its interest in supporting participants in getting jobs in the roles they are interested in, rather than supporting everyone in getting the same sort of position.

“We really want people getting into jobs that they want,” Moura said. “Not just any job, but a job that people are going to be passionate about. Because when you’re passionate about what you’re doing, your job performance is better, and when you’re supporting people directly, that makes a big difference.”

Human services training

The other Polus Center program to receive a $500,000 Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success grant is the Human Services Training Program, which has supported unemployed and underemployed Massachusetts residents in finding meaningful work in human services since 2001. The grant will allow the program to continue for four courses over the next two years.

The human services program is virtual and develops job skills such as interviewing and resume-writing. It concludes in a job fair where many participants are able to find work.

During the last two-year grant period, 90 participants were enrolled, and the organization hopes to achieve that same number or more with the new classes.

Program director Robbie Richards was a participant herself in 2023. She previously worked in the mortgage industry, but was looking for a change of pace after being laid off.

“I wanted to reinvent myself. Didn’t know how, didn’t know if I had the transferable skills for anything other than what I’d done for all my career. And then I saw this advertisement through MassHire, and I decided to take [the class],” Richards said. “It was eye-opening. It was six weeks… and it made me a better human, and I found community, and I found myself again.”

The program supports individuals in getting jobs in all sorts of industries related to human services, both for-profit and nonprofit. Examples include roles in education, drug abuse rehabilitation, home healthcare and elder care.

“I am excited that the program did get another grant,” Richards added. “I’m so happy that they believed in us, that we can offer it for two more years. Because it’s really making a difference. It’s giving hope and it’s placing people in jobs that they didn’t think they could do before.”

More information about both programs can be found at www.poluscenter.org