The Specialisterne Program Comes to the District
During the first week of April, Jonathan Lucus, Managing Director, The Arc@Work at The Arc US and Jennifer McClure, CBI Program Supervisor at The Arc of DC attended the Specialisterne “Train the Trainer” certification course in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
The purpose of the training was to educate and certify participating Chapters of The Arc on the Specialisterne training so they can be a partner organization and begin to implement the program at their respective location across the U.S. The “Train the Trainer” course instructs attendees in the two primary components of the Specialisterne model: LEGO Mindstorms assessments and the SCRUM methodology. LEGO Mindstorms is an assessment model that evaluates an individual’s problem solving skills, creative thinking, data interpretation ability, and software testing skills. SCRUM is a software development framework used for managing software projects and application development. It is the framework in which employee trainees are instructed during the skills portion of the Specialisterne on-the-job training. Together, these components make up the competence assessment and IT training provided through the Specialisterne program. This course prepares The Arc network staff to effectively assess program participants and instruct them during the IT and work readiness training sessions.
Jonathan and Jennifer both successfully completed the course and received their certifications and will be implementing the program in Washington DC this spring. The objective of the Specialisterne Program is to provide training and job opportunities in STEM related fields of work for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The Arc of DC will be working with area businesses that need support locating on on-boarding qualified talent.
If you are interested in the Specialisterne Program or know a business that needs on-boarding support or our other The Arc@Work programs, please visit us at www.thearc.org/thearcatwork. You can also contact Jonathan Lucus by email at lucus@thearc.org or phone at (202) 534–3706.