GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — More than a dozen students are graduating from a program designed to highlight employment opportunities for young adults of all abilities.
Seven interns who worked at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and Bellin Health through Project SEARCH received their diplomas Tuesday. A second group of six students who worked at Aurora BayCare Medical Center will graduate Wednesday.
High school seniors from participating school districts who have physical and/or developmental disabilities are eligible to participate in Project SEARCH. It aims to prepare the students to enter the workforce.
“I liked the program. I think it made me a better employee, to learn those valuable skills, to make sure I get the job done,” said Abby Olson, who graduated from the program Tuesday.
Project SEARCH is a nationwide business-led collaboration that enables young adults with disabilities to explore careers, receive training and learn how to maintain employment, all in a hands-on work environment.
Pam McGillivray, deputy secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, said Project SEARCH is a great tool to help students grow as individuals and as workers.
Watching these kids come into the program kind of timid and not really sure of themselves, and then just really growing together as a group, as a team. Having all of these experiences in the workforce, and then developing those skills so that they’re ready to go out and get a job and keep a job and meet their career goals and continue that lifelong learning.
Since its inception in 2008, the Wisconsin chapter of Project SEARCH has provided workforce training to more than 1,800 individuals. During the 2023-24 program year, nearly 200 young adults were enrolled in the program at 28 participating sites.
“They’ve worked hard over the last several months working at various rotations here at HSHS Hospital and Bellin Hospital to learn various job skills, and really just to learn from each other, learn new experiences, learn what the workplace is like and hopefully, connect with jobs as soon as possible after graduation — if not already,” McGillivray said.
For more information about Project SEARCH, this year’s participating employers or to apply for an internship, click here.
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