Karl Ehlers
Karl Ehlers participated in the job training program at Coastal Enterprises (CE) in Jacksonville when the staff started to look for employment that would complement his skill set.
They considered delivery driver options, but he decided to explore other options with his limited mobility.
Karl lives with cerebral palsy and while Coastal Enterprises ceased hiring permanent employees for their workshop long ago to designate it as a training center, Karl is one of the very few people to be hired as a permanent employee for a workshop position within the company.
Almost two years later, Karl is a lead worker in the production workshop where military equipment for nearly every branch of service is manufactured and assembled.
In addition to his job, Karl assists
Chuck Race, the production floor supervisor, with answering any
questions from the training program participants.
Not only does Karl like the work that he does, but his job also enables him to support his family, including his two teenage kids.
“It’s kind of fun. I get in a zone and get it done,” Karl says about working on the machinery where he manufactures accessories for M16 rifles at Coastal Enterprises.
Since Karl has cerebral palsy, he needed to find a job that required limited mobility, but still kept his interest. He found that at Coastal Enterprises.
Karl has done so well at his job, he assists the floor supervisor with any questions from participants in Coastal Enterprises training program.
Karl doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty when working with his machine.
Feeling like part of the Coastal Enterprises family, Karl enjoys his work and being able to support his family.