Project SEARCH kicks off in Ocala – Ocala

Subsidiary program of Vocational Rehabilitation has a mission to train and find employment for school students who are considered disabled. The program is now being implemented in Marion County.

Most people, without proper training, find it hard to find gainful employment, and that can be even more challenging for students with disabilities.

Project SEARCH, a subsidiary of Vocational Rehabilitation, has a mission to train and find employment for school students who are considered disabled. The program is now being implemented in Marion County.

Ashley Harper is the supervisor for the Vocational Rehabilitation office at 1601 NE 25th Ave., Ocala. She also works out of a satellite office in Inverness one day a week.

Currently, VRs focus has been on assisting youth with disabilities, ages 15-24, prepare for the workforce after high school, Harper said. Here in Ocala, we are starting our first Project SEARCH program this school year.

Any type of disability qualifies someone for Project SEARCH, such as developmental, physical, mental, missing limbs, or anything that would impair them in seeking employment. Students who have one year left of high school are able to participate in the program, sponsored locally by Hilton Ocala.

Instead of attending classes on a high school campus, the students report to the job site at the Hilton. They will work with a job coach from Goodwill Suncoast, an ESE teacher from the Marion County Public Schools District office and employees from the Hilton to perform on-the-job training tasks throughout the day, Harper said. Once the school year is over, they will have learned work skills that will prepare them for entering the workforce.

The students are chosen by a group of staffers with Vocational Rehabilitation, Goodwill Suncoast, the school district staff and the Hilton. They must meet eligibility requirements for VRs Supported Employment services.

Several other agencies also have been working together to help the expansion of Project SEARCH, including the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida Department of Education-Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services and others.

Before the students are placed for training, they go through an interview and evaluation process with Project SEARCH. They are evaluated through their work history, training and education.

The students must also be in their last year of high school, and their family must be supportive of this program, Harper said. Only after they meet all of the above criteria, will they be invited to complete a skills assessment.

Once the potential candidates were chosen, they had to pass a skills assessment and interview process here at Hilton Ocala, said Leilani Rasmussen, human resource manager for the hotel. The Hilton brand currently supports Project SEARCH in other Florida counties as well.

According to Harper, the skills assessment not only measures potential skills, but also measures their ability to follow instructions.

At the end of the school year, the students can receive up to 10 credits toward graduation. If they have enough high school credits previously, they can receive their high school diploma with other students.

"Without this kind of opportunity, it is very difficult for these individuals to find employment on their own after high school, so we are very excited to begin the program here in Ocala, Harper said.

Project SEARCH started in 1996 as a national program in Cincinnati, Ohio. It now is in 45 states and eight countries.

Our expansion efforts are focusing on small and rural areas of the state where resources and opportunities for post-secondary training are limited, said Carly Detlefsen, statewide liaison for Project SEARCH. There is no doubt that Project SEARCH is and will continue to positively impact and change the trajectory of the lives of our students, families and businesses.

Derek Arnold, Life Skills Development Regional Manager for Goodwill, said, Goodwill structured what is called a skills assessment day to meet all applicants and garner a better understanding of the students.

There are seven work stations in the Hilton, including the kitchen, housekeeping, office/clerical, laundry, catering and more. Day-to-day tasks can include folding linens, setting and clearing tables, mopping and rolling silverware. Other areas may be assigned, depending on how well the students do.

According to Arnold, the day begins with a morning session with a Marion County Public Schools teacher, who talks to the students about resumes, interviewing, workplace etiquette and more. The remainder of the day is spent with a Goodwill job coach. The students work side-by-side with hotel staff and managers.

We hope to create some true passions for the young people in these rotations like admin or culinary arts, or at least help them decide where they want to work post Project SEARCH, Arnold said.

On Friday Karen Mackey, an instructor with Marion County Public Schools, talked about how the program is going.

"Our school is here. Two hours of instructional time, and four hours of work. They receive more job skills, preparing them for jobs, versus classroom academics. They work rotation shifts, in 10-week increments. They do have an option to stay at one internship two times, but they have to go for a third one, sometime before they graduate," Mackey said.

"With Project SEARCH, I teach the practical job skills," said Efy Blasingame, a Community Employment Coach with Goodwill. "We're building this program as we go along."

Cody LeJeune, a student at Forest High School, said Friday that he was "training in engineering."

"I change switches, help the men with the light bulbs, service phones. A couple of days ago, I was pressure washing in the front, and in the back of the hotel, with a pressure washer that I assembled," Cody said.

"I might try kitchen or banquets after maintenance. I'm not sure yet. The instructors are good. They're nice. After the program, I want to do maintenance or engineering," he said.

Kayla Howell, a student at the Hillcrest School, was training in housekeeping.

"I feel very comfortable going trough this training here," she said. "I want to get a job somewhere at a hotel. My goal is cleaning. I like to clean. I love making beds."

Of the students who have completed the Project SEARCH training program, 74 percent are competitively employed, working on average 25 hours per week at minimum wage or higher. Nationally, the employment rate for students with cognitive disabilities averages 20 percent.

Project SEARCH helped me get the career that I have now. Without Project SEARCH, I wouldnt be where I am today, said Regina Blanton, a program graduate and employee at the Hilton Hotel in Altamonte Springs.

"I'm excited to watch the students learn. And they come in excited," Mackey said.

"Finally, someone is noticing our kids, getting them their job skills, for them to be successful. More independent living for them, and giving them a chance to be successful. We also help them with resumes and job applications. They receive a certificate from Project SEARCH upon completion of their internship and we're hoping to have a type of ceremony here at the Hilton. I'm probably more excited, as it's a job well done," she added.

"I'm so in love with this program, you have no idea," Blasingame said. "The Hilton staff has been so amazing."

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Project SEARCH kicks off in Ocala - Ocala