A program I learned about late last week, and one you may have heard about on our community focus program yesterday addresses 2 challenges in a way that hasn’t been tried in Ohio before. One, is the shortage of skilled workers  to operate  C N C machines in area industries. The other is the need for adults who are considered developmentally disabled to find gainful employment.  Rhodes state college is hosting a new program called  “the uniquely abled academy” .  A 16 week class to begin next month will give  highly functioning autistic young adults from  the area the training  they will need  to operate C N C machines and also provide them with so-called soft-skills they’ll need to obtain a job.  People considered  developmentally challenged are among Americans who find it most difficult to find work. Experts say the highly functioning autistic are uniquely skilled to operate highly complicated C N C machines. John Wheeler is the Rhodes state college coordinator  for the Uniquely Abled academy and can provide more information on it. With the shortage of highly skilled workers who are willing to show up for work well documented, I’m hoping that graduates of the new program will be given a chance in local industries to prove what they can do if they are given the opportunity to do so. That’s the way I see it.