At Orion we pride ourselves on being able to help people with barriers to employment. Craig worked for 40 years in the construction industry, but after suffering a stroke, he had to relearn how to do everyday tasks that most people take for granted. His Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselor recognized that Craig needed a training program to help him prepare for a new career and knew that Orion would be a good fit for Craig.
After coming to a tour at Orion’s Auburn location, Craig signed up for our paid training program. He started working one-on-one with a mentor in our Vibe Deburr room, clearing rough edges on our aerospace parts. It took Craig some time to get used to performing the required tasks, especially since he has limited use of his right hand. As Craig has been learning new technical skills he has also been concentrating on making his left hand dominant. The repetition of the work in Vibe Deburr let Craig build his confidence. Craig explained, “Being able to perform work in which I repeat a task many times helped me build muscle memory in way. As I discovered that I can do the work, my determination increased. I ended up being pretty good at performing that job!”
Being able to perform work in which I repeat a task many times helped me build muscle memory in way. As I discovered that I can do the work, my determination increased. I ended up being pretty good at performing that job!
– Craig / Orion Job Seeker
Craig has been in Orion’s training program for nearly a year. Over that time Craig has received training in Vibe Deburr, Tool Crib, CNC, Mills, and Conventional Machining. He also learned how to hand deburr using an orbital sander. In addition to gaining valuable skills in these areas Craig also took Orion’s Blueprint Reading and Shop Math classes.
While learning skills is these areas, Craig was also relearning how to be independent. Over the past year Craig was able to build a new skillset, while also making progress in his recovery. Craig continues to build new connections in his brain, replacing those that were damaged during his stroke. Craig continues to work to improve his memory and processing ability. Seeing the progress that Craig has made as he rebuilds his life has been inspiring. He has demonstrated that there is no quit in him.
“Orion is a good place to learn,” Craig related. “I’m really proud of what I’ve learned. I learned how to build airplane parts!”
If you would like to find out more about Craig, or if you would like to see his resume, please contact Lavada Kindle at 253.661.7805 x262 or email her at lavada.kindle@orionworks.org.
