OUR SERVICES

WDS Group focuses on the improving of the conditions of the communities by connecting the resources and services.

1) Strengthening Families

  • Healthy Living component to facilitate better choices in caring for the mental and physical health wellness of the individual and family unit.
    • Healthy Lifestyle Workshops
    • Family Table
    • Case Management
    • Referrals
    • Healthy Relationships
    • Nutrition
  • Connect with healthcare providers, based on quality, affordability, and access.

2) Career Readiness – World of Work – Workforce Development

  • Summer work experience opportunities for 14 to 18 year old youth.
  • Industry Exploration
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Older Youth – Internships/Industry Rotation

Focused on training and connecting people to resources for:

  • Suicide Prevention
  • Substance Abuse
  • Antiviolence
  • Depression/Mental Health Awareness and Stigma Reduction
  • Environmental Strategies
    • Appropriate Strategies for the disposal of pharmaceuticals
  • Establish connections internally and externally in working within Corporate objectives:
    • HR policy structured to comply with changes in organization
    • Contractor reviews and recommendations on language and policies to comply
    • Connecting legislative, community, and business stakeholders
    • Coordinating conferences, summits, events to ensure diversity and inclusion
  • Working with HR/Operations/Finance on internal workplace concerns
    • Reduction in Staff
    • Benefit Analysis
    • Grant and Contract Management
    • Hardwired Processes/Throughput of Information and Services
  • Community Engagement
    • Ensuring personalized connect with the community stakeholders
    • Stabilizing negative impacting information
    • Creating stronger presence throughout communities, community benefits analysis

Connect with multiple providers to improve the health and environment of communities, based on quality, affordability, and access.

  • Provide sessions on Public Health Education focused on Community Health Needs Assessment:
    • Tobacco
    • Diabetes
    • Substance Abuse
    • Violence
    • Mental Health Wellness
    • Nutrition/Obesity
    • Infant Mortality
  • Coordination with Stakeholders
    • Resources/information regarding healthcare and healthy living for the NWI Region
    • Bringing stakeholders with diverse social impact to focus on quality care and quality of life in Northwest Indiana.
  • Stakeholder Network
    • Connecting legislators, providers, end users for transformational changes

In partnership with the Gary Community School Corporation, Workforce Development Services, Inc., also known as Work Driven Strategies Group, has established a WDS Discovery Lab at the Gary Area Career Center! 

The Discovery Lab is developed to equip learners with a scope of services, including obtaining credentials, certificates,  occupational exploration, and employability preparation.  Regardless of ages, or circumstances, The Discovery Lab offers informed staff and consultants from the world of work and education.  The focus is to assist adult learners in setting the goals they desire.   Developing, and enhancing their life skills, educational, and occupational options, keeps learners competitive in a changing workforce environment, while addressing personal balance and healthy living. 

The WDS Discovery Lab has two (2) components specifically addressing education, occupations, and employability. 

Adult Learning Cooperative – A High School credentialing initiative for adult learners 16 years or older.  This is specifically to obtain IN HS Credentials.  Enrollment is kept at 6-8 students per session to ensure personal attention to each student’s level and learning style.

Life Coaches, Tutors, and Employment Coaches are also on site to assist adult learners with tools and resources needed for a healthy balanced life.

Focus:

           Young learners – 8th grade to 12th grade – Selected classes for preparing youth for the World of Work.  In addition to occupation understanding, is developing presence, communication skills, appropriate appearance, and understanding the general expectations of the workforce, its opportunities, and its challenges. 

                        Adult learners – 17 and older  – Classes and sessions are presented based on the audiences.  Locations are also set based on the overall needs of the Career Connect class being populated.  Adult learners are grouped by their interests, to ensure the facilitators are addressing a wealth of information at the appropriate level of the audience.  This is a personal discussion with each potential adult enrollee, prior to scheduling.  Many of these sessions are facilitated by employers from a diverse high demand industry as identified for Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland area employment data.