Expert: Torski Dobson-Arnold - 8/27/2010

Question
My husband was severely injured at work and almost lost his hand over 3 years ago.  The company he worked for kept him for 18 months after the injury and his return to work before they found a reason to fire him.  He is now facing the difficult task of looking for a new job with this history of injury with limitations and his termination.  He worked for this company for 19 years and enjoyed his job and was very dedicated to it.  We are unsure of what path to take now.  He was certified in Industrial mechanics and was a Maintenance Planner before his injury.  Looking at options for quick retraining shows little hope of a good income.  He has some training in waste water treatment plant and was certified level 2 in that as well but most require heavy lifting and that is almost impossible with his hand in the condition it is.  Do you have any suggestions for retraining or where to begin?

Answer
Eugenia,

In my research, I had discovered that with that type of disability, your husband should be working with a job coach (or someone else) certified and trained to work with persons with those types of conditions. I am not sure what state you are in, but I would start with contacting your state's department of vocational rehabilitation and/or the department of disability assistance services.

The counselor will look at the types of work that your husband is qualified to do and do his/her best to match him to those types of job opportunities in your town/city.

I hope this helps!

Claiming nothing but success in all of your career endeavors,

Torski Dobson-Arnold
The Career Confidence Coach