Gabby has discovered her true calling and is thriving and excelling in her career.

In June, Gabby will be celebrating her 4th anniversary working for the Hardware Meets Software (HMS) Plant in Manchester, PA. The industrial automation company helps customers run their businesses with components that enable industrial hardware to communicate and share information with software and systems.

The milestone is a testament to the success of Penn-Mar Human Services’ Customized Employment (CE) program that helps people with disabilities find meaningful, paid employment, and to Gabby’s employer for creating a supportive environment where she has continually mastered and enhanced her job responsibilities.

Christian Hall, HMS Plant Operations Manager where Gabby works three days a week, describes her as “everyone’s favorite employee” with her gregarious nature and enthusiasm for taking on additional responsibilities to support her co-workers.

“Gabby performs tasks that free up our operators and more experienced people to concentrate on other areas,” he explained. “We have been experimenting with giving her more and more responsibility. She takes everything in stride and there are no errors. It’s exciting to see her progress. Gabby is continually taking on more than we anticipated and we’re trying to push more difficult and complex tasks her way.”

Christian also credits Gabby’s soft skills with improving the morale of his team at HMS. “She is always in a good mood and is truly the happiest employee we have,” he says. “Having her around is a positive experience for everyone, not to mention she does a great job supervising our Swear Jar collections!”

Gabby’s early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder has only emboldened her to find ways to achieve success as a young adult both on the job and in the community.

Now 24, she was initially referred to Penn-Mar’s CE program in 2019 by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). The program has been very successful in establishing relationships with local businesses, pairing individuals, their talents and skills with customized positions that meet an employer’s needs.

Gabby began working with Penn-Mar’s Employment Team in 2020 to identify her skills and abilities through its Exploration and Discovery Program. When she completed this process, Penn-Mar Career Counselor Tricia Zeltwanger, CESP, initiated her job development by establishing connections with local businesses that aligned with her discovery findings.

“I particularly highlighted her strong proficiency in computer skills and meticulous attention to detail,” she recalled. “This led to the development of a relationship with Red Lion Controls, now a member of the HMS Group that acquired the company last year.”

Collaborating with HMS, the Employment Team identified a need for support in processing instructional CD disks, which included burning the disks for final packaging and producing printed labels. Gabby secured a position there in 2021, performing tasks that were customized to match her skills and abilities.

Over time, Gabby’s job responsibilities evolved in response to the changing needs of the business. She currently assembles back plates for various units, assists in assembling kits by counting and bagging multiple components, labels option cards (which are circuit boards), and occasionally assists in folding literature when required.

“Gabby has discovered her true calling and joyfully shares that she is thriving and excelling in her career,” said Tricia.

Gabby’s managers and co-workers at HMS have distinguished themselves by successfully teaching her the new tasks they’ve asked her to work on, according to Jeannine O’Mahony, Penn-Mar’s PA Employment Support Manager, and Gabby’s former Employment Coordinator.

Because of their efforts, Gabby receives monthly visits from Penn-Mar’s Employment Team and support with job transitions but does not need direct coaching to improve her job skills.

HMS is currently reevaluating their staffing needs and ways Penn-Mar CE candidates could meet their needs. “Based on our experience with Gabby,” said Christian, “I would encourage any employer looking for ways to free up their operations people for more complex tasks to consider customized employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”