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Successful candidates to Project SEARCH are called interns.The program runs during the intern’s final year of high school. Interns attend the program at the host business, the Region of Durham. The Region of Durham provides an on-site classroom accommodating up to 10 Interns. The site is staffed by a certified teacher and two skills trainers from the Abilities Centre. Continual feedback is provided to interns by the teacher and skills trainers, while site supervisors and managers provide natural supports.
Employment Skills Curriculum:
Activities are designed around these focus areas:
- Building Healthy Relationships at Work
- Diversity and Inclusion Awareness in the Workplace
- Skill Building Activities at Home
- Team Building
- Workplace Safety
- Technology
- Self-Advocacy
- Maintaining Employment
- Financial Literacy
- Health and Wellness
- Preparing for Employment
- Social and Communication Skills
Internship Rotations
The goal of the three worksite internships is to systematically teach and reinforce competitive, marketable, and transferable skills. The intern applies employability skills during internships as they become part of the workplace culture and learn how to be a successful employee. Daily, interns reflect upon both strengths and next steps to continually develop short-term goals to improve upon employability skills allowing for layers of new skills to be built throughout each internship.
Regular Employment Planning Meetings
Held twice during an internship, Employment Planning Meetings keep team members updated on an intern’s progress and help to identify ways to support the intern to help reach the goal of competitive employment. Anyone actively involved in helping the intern to find employment attends the meeting (student, teacher, skills trainer, family member, internship managers and business liaisons)
Job Development and Community Connections
During the last few months of the program the emphasis is on refining skills, achieving the career goal, and carrying out individualized job development. The skills trainers become an even more important part of the team as the job search process begins. Job development is based on the intern’s experiences, strengths, interests, and skills. Job coaching and follow up for one year post-graduation are arranged.