
About Project SEARCH PEI
Project SEARCH PEI is for young adults with an intellectual disability or autism whose main goal is employment and who will benefit from career exploration. The cornerstone of this program is immersion into a large business or organization. Students learn job skills while participating in a variety of worksite rotations with the goal of competitive employment and are supported by a team including an Instructor and Job Skills Coaches.
The Project SEARCH model was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996. Currently, there are 700+ Project SEARCH sites worldwide. The program reports that approximately 70% of students are employed within a year of graduation. This reflects the overall success of the program for graduates and their employers.
Project SEARCH sites may offer transition-to-work training for high school students and/or young adults.
Successful candidates who join Project SEARCH will:
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Participate in a variety of work experiences within the host business during three 8-10 week internships
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Acquire competitive, transferable and marketable employability skills
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Gain increased independence, confidence, and self-esteem
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Obtain work-based individualized coaching, instruction and feedback
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Develop links to employment support and other service agencies
Many sites including ours call the Project SEARCH students “interns” to reflect their roles in the workplace and the unique nature of their work placements and training.
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