VTC Enterprises

In 1961 a group of Santa Maria valley parents organized to obtain services for their adult children with intellectual disabilities. The resulting Santa Maria Association for the Retarded was incorporated in 1962 and provided life skills training in rented spaces. With 1969 came the purchase of five acres on "A" street in Santa Maria and a new name, North Santa Barbara County Rehabilitation Center. By 1980 services had evolved to embrace increased employment and community-based opportunities for people with disabilities, and we changed our name to Vocational Training Center (VTC). By 2001, we were no longer a center-based organization, instead operating many "enterprising" community-based programs and businesses, so we updated our corporate name to VTC Enterprises. The mission of VTC Enterprises is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their life goals. Our vision is for individuals of any ability to obtain employment and/or be engaged community members to the degree they choose. With a paid staff of approximately 125, we serve approximately 320 individuals in an average month. Services take place at our home office in Santa Maria, our satellite office in Lompoc, our AbilityOne contracts at Vandenberg Space Force Base and Naval Base Ventura County, and in community locations in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Orcutt and southern San Luis Obispo County. Notable Partnerships: VTC Enterprises partnered with a team of engineering students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to participate in the SourceAmerica IDEATE International Engineering Competition. The IDEATE competition provides an opportunity for a team of students to invent a scalable product that assists and/or improves the work-life experience and productivity of an employee with a disability. On April 13, 2022, The VTC/Cal Poly Partnership was selected as the collegiate winner of the IDEATE Competition. Also, VTC Enterprises was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network, or NEON (DOL NEON). Our participation will provide us with additional training and consultive services to increase employment opportunities in the community for people with disabilities. Notable Accomplishments: In 2022, VTC Enterprises successfully re-negotiated a significantly expanded 5-year Commissary Contract at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The expanded contract will provide an additional employment position for a person with disabilities through the AbilityOne Program. These contract positions represent opportunities for individuals with disabilities to obtain long-term jobs earning significant wages with benefits. Also, VTC Enterprises is accredited by CARF international, the independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services organizations. For over 30 years, VTC has consistently/consecutively received the highest possible award, a 3-year accreditation. VTC enterprises uses a person-centered approach in the provision of services. Individuals design their own goals and objectives through this planning process with the support of their person-centered planning team. Services include employment, employment training, lifelong learning and life enrichment, and community engagement. Life enrichment services are offered on facility and in community settings. Classes are developed with input from the individuals we serve and are changed up twice a year. Employment services take place on facility and at various community settings and businesses. Supports include job skills assessment, training, development, placement, coaching, retention, and advocacy for job accommodations. Some individuals are employed by VTC's small businesses (Custodial Services, Spiffy Lawn & Garden Maintenance, The 'A' Street Caf, and Innovative Printing Solutions), while others are employed in the community with supports provided by our job coaches. We differ from similar services in our community in that we 1) serve individuals needing the most intense level of direct care such as requiring 24-hour supervision, assistance with personal hygiene needs and support with virtually all aspects of daily living, and 2) provide employment and community integration options for a large number of individuals who have the most challenging barriers to employment. No other providers in Northern Santa Barbara County serve these two populations; there are other agencies in the area who serve people with disabilities, but only to those who are more independent and need less support than what VTC offers. We also differ in that, through the AbilityOne Program and SourceAmerica, we hold five contracts with the federal government.