Our History

On January 23, 2024, VTDC celebrated our 51st Anniversary.  It all started over fifty years ago, when a small group of families from Venango County came together to create a day program that would provide their children with disabilities meaningful activities, where they could learn different skills.  In 1968, the operation known as “Venango Diagnostics Center” was moved to Rouseville School.  This was where individuals with disabilities had the first opportunity to work on subcontract work and earn a paycheck, while in vocational training.  From there, on January 23, 1973, the Venango Training & Development Center, Inc. (VTDC) was incorporated as a 501 C 3 non-profit and 22 trainees were provided with programs that taught them daily living skills at a small facility in Rocky Grove.  In 1980, serving 60 individuals, VTDC moved to our current location at 239 Quaker Drive, in Seneca and as they say “the rest is history”. 

 

Since that time VTDC has increased not only the types of programs available to persons with disabilities, but has expanded to include providing services to the disadvantaged population as well, expanding our “footprint” throughout eight counties in northwest Pennsylvania.  Those counties include Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Venango and Warren Counties.   Boasting programs of excellence over the years, VTDC has been fortunate to be nominated and awarded the “Outstanding Rehabilitation Agency Award” by the Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Agencies four times since 1993 and received the first “Partner of the Year” award from the NW PA Workforce Investment Board in 2008.  Today VTDC is serving thousands of disabled and disadvantaged individuals through Production Center, Adult Training Facilities, Home & Community Habilitation Program, Supported Employment Programs, Mental Health Fairweather Lodge and Training Lodge Programs, and a Mental Health Drop In Center.  VTDC has also created a network of over 200 community partners throughout the region. 

 

Over the years, VTDC has also become a premier “Contract Packager” and “Commercial Janitorial Service” throughout the region.  Through our Macropack and Business Service Division, VTDC provides employment for both the individuals in pre-vocational training programs and the community at large.  Working with over 100 businesses, through subcontract work and placing people in employment, VTDC works hard to promote economic development and progress in our communities.

 

To ensure customer satisfaction and quality, VTDC developed and implemented a detailed “Quality Management Strategy” for our Intellectual Developmental Disability Home and Community-Based and Mental Health Services.  Through this strategy we collect performance data through customer and staff surveys, internal and state tracking tools and state and county license and monitoring visits. This information is utilized to help both the Board of Directors and staff to focus our energies towards continual improvement of our programs and operations. 

 

Over the years VTDC has seen growth, met the ever changing challenges and continues to persevere to meet the training requirements of those we serve.  VTDC will continue to evolve to the needs of the community, helping people to reach their highest potential.  Through all of our vocational programs, while helping to create the workforce of tomorrow, we are committed to recognizing that, “if the individuals we serve have a will to work, we will find a way for them to work.”  The Board and staff of VTDC are doing just that and look forward to ongoing success in the upcoming years.