Project SEARCH is a one-year, school-to-work program that provides total immersion for students in the workplace. The program originated more than 10 years ago at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital when a nursing leader at the hospital had high turnover with some positions that she believed people with disabilities would be able to successfully fill. The program is currently in place in more than 150 employment sites across the country and internationally. The goal is to provide students with real-life work experience and prepare them for competitive employment while fulfilling the need of an employer, such as WellSpan Health, for a qualified workforce for the future.
Locally, Project SEARCH is a partnership among WellSpan Health (an integrated health system serving central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland), Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU), the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and York/Adams Mental Health/Mental Retardation.
Program Details
At WellSpan, students work in their assigned area for four or five hours a day and spend two hours a day in classroom instruction. A full-time teacher, job coaches, and WellSpan staff provide instruction in employability and independent living skills. Project SEARCH students are not guaranteed employment with WellSpan, but as students gain experience, they are eligible to apply for jobs. In addition to overseeing Project SEARCH from the employer perspective, the WellSpan Learning and Development team provides a variety of training for the students, including orientation support, teambuilding, and computer skills. Additionally, Project SEARCH has provided the opportunity for front-line staff to become formal mentors of the students, enhancing their professional development. Eighteen departments are involved in hosting Project SEARCH students to date.
As of fall 2014, five classes of Project SEARCH students with between eight and 10 students in each class have become a part of the WellSpan community, at the York Hospital, WellSpan Surgical & Rehabilitation Hospital, and Human Resources Center facilities.
Results
The classes of 2011 through 2014 graduated all 39 participating students, with 24 students successfully employed (10 at WellSpan). The rate of successful employment overall and specifically within WellSpan has increased in both categories as follows:
2011: 60% placement (1 employed by WellSpan) with 83% retaining jobs
2012: 50% placement (3 employed by WellSpan) with 60% retaining jobs
2013: 60% placement (4 employed by WellSpan) with100% retaining jobs
2014: 78% placement (2 employed by WellSpan) with 100% retaining jobs
Although WellSpan anticipated it would be able to provide a valuable experience for participating students, the company says it underestimated the impact the students would have on its workforce. According to the company, the students demonstrate an appreciation of being part of WellSpan, as well as a commitment to hard work and customer service that is an example for everyone around them.
