A job training center for people with disabilities starts its fall session on Monday. The Michigan Career and Technical Institute is in Plainwell, about 20 miles north of Kalamazoo. It's the second largest program of its kind in the country.
Up to 350 students live on campus while taking classes. The institute offers 14 training programs to people with various disabilities.
Paul Mulka is deputy director of MCTI. He said when the institute opened in 1944 it mostly helped people with physical disabilities. He says the majority of students now have what are called “hidden disabilities.” Mulka says that includes autism, learning disabilities, and emotional impairments.
Students study topics like automotive technology, the culinary arts, pharmacy services, and retail marketing.
