CCS makes “Best Places to Work in Vermont” list

Champlain Community Services (CCS), a nonprofit organization – and VBSR member — supporting people with intellectual disabilities and autism, recently earned recognition as one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont for 2019. This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Vermont, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses.

“There’s a lot of satisfaction in earning this statewide recognition of our exceptional workplace,” said Elizabeth Sightler, executive director at CCS. “As the state’s highest performing supported employment provider, we recognize that if we’re going to find meaningful work for the people we serve, we also must provide a meaningful workplace.”

CCS is a Specialized Services Agency (SSA) within the State of Vermont’s Developmental Services system. Its supported employment program, Way2Work, is nationally recognized and provides a unique continuum of employment training and career development supports from high school to retirement age.

This twelfth annual list of the Best Places to Work in Vermont was created by Vermont Business Magazine, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont Department of Economic Development, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Vermont State Council, and Best Companies Group.

Businesses from across Vermont entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Vermont. Each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems ,and demographics, were evaluated, along with an employee survey that measured the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the registration and survey process, and also analyzed the data to determine the final rankings.

Sightler said that, as a steward of public money, it’s important for CCS to demonstrate that CCS be able to demonstrate that we’re doing everything possible to care for our staff, reduce turnover and support staff development.

“I think this award supports that,” Sightler said. “We live by the adage that if we take care of the staff they’ll take care of the people we serve. I’ve know we do both well for a long time – and still it’s an honor to have an independent and objective assessment that we really are a Best Place to Work!”

More information on Champlain Community Services is available at www.ccs-ct.org.