ORANGE, NJ –  Cynthia Fraser of East Orange has worked in packaging and assembly, accounting, and recently, as a mail sorter in the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center in Kearny.  William Fountain of Bloomfield is now labeling garments for a medical company, UniClean of Maplewood. Stacy Laberth of Newark is a maintenance worker for OCNJ’s Building Management Services, poised for a promotion not far down the road.

These individuals, along with many others, are reaping the benefits of having turned to The First Occupational Center of New Jersey for training and help in obtaining employment. And with good reason.  OCNJ has more than 50 years of experience placing individuals it trains into community and OCNJ businesses.

“Our programs are designed to provide comprehensive training, so that each person is carefully assessed and trained according to his or her preferences and abilities,” said Tanya Edghill, Vice President of Program Services. “From there, we aim to find jobs – the right jobs – for our clients.”

Some individuals who become OCNJ clients need specific training skills, like CDL licenses to drive trucks or black seal licenses to operate boilers.  Some need retraining to enter the workforce to update skills or take a totally different career path. Still others have disabilities, like Christine Cluney, who is visually impaired yet landed a job as a freelance writer making $25 an hour for Diversity, Inc.

 “Employers experienced with our Placement Services know that we provide dependable, trained employees with follow-up services at no cost to the employer,” Ms. Edghill said.  “It’s a win-win situation.”

For more information about Placement Services, call Tanya Edghill at (973) 672-5800, or visit OCNJ at www.ocnj.org.

The First Occupational Center of New Jersey is the state’s oldest and largest vocational and job placement agency, providing services to the developmentally and physically challenged, elderly and economically disadvantaged New Jersey residents and their families since 1954.  The not-for-profit uses an entrepreneurial approach to training and securing jobs with the goal of helping workers transition from dependence to independence. The Center provides jobs through its seven wholly-owned and operated companies, including Recycling, Building Services and Groundskeeping,  Production and Printing Services, FCDC Construction, Scanning and Micrographics, Abbry Security, and the OCNJ Driving School, as well as placing its graduates in businesses within the community.