Ohio Lieutenant Governor taking a look at Rhode State College's Uniquely Abled Academy

It’s no secret that there are thousands of jobs being left unfilled in the state of Ohio as baby boomers are retiring and there is no new workforce in the pipeline.

Friday, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted being introduced to a training program at Rhodes State College that is taking a non-traditional approach to building a future workforce. He got to see firsthand how the “Uniquely Abled Academy” is teaching individuals with highly functioning autism, the skills needed to become a valuable CNC machinists in the manufacturing world. The Uniquely Abled Academy is making the connection that these individuals are a good fit for the job.

Lt. Jon Husted had the following to say, “You find that they’re uniquely qualified. You just have to help educate the employers what it’s like to work with somebody who has autism and help those students with autism develop the soft skills that they need to work in a professional environment.”

Seth Fulton attends the academy, “Hopefully get a job. Coming here just means a lot. Learn more about machinery and hoping to get a job and see what happens.”

Jason Radler attends the academy, “We basically take parts of metal to make objects and that by drilling pieces of chunks of metal like.”

Melissa Hadden is Jason’s mother, “I think it’s really helping him and others see that he is more than just a dishwasher or a janitor. These kids are so, so much more and this program is fabulous because it's not just showing the kids they can do it. It’s showing their family and it's showing society that these kids can do it.”

Husted commended Rhodes State for taking this leap of faith with the Uniquely Abled Academy and that they could be setting the groundwork for others in the state to follow. Uniquely Abled Academy at Rhodes is the 2nd academy of its kind in the United States.