A work program that helps young adults on P.E.I. with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder to gain job skills is now accepting applications for its fall internship.
Project SEARCH, an international employment training program, has more than 780 sites globally. On Prince Edward Island, it runs out of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
The program is operated by Tremploy and funded by Skills P.E.I.
Over the course of a year, interns take part in classroom training and complete internships in various hospital departments to prepare for entering the workforce.
Barry Galloway, an instructor with the program, said many interns finish the program with a job.
“It’s been one success after another,” he told CBC News. “They have a whole year, and we’re working with them throughout that year, and we’re able to really focus on any issues or barriers they may have in a significant way that really helps them to overcome those barriers and transition seamlessly into the workplace.”
He said the average employment success rate for Project SEARCH sites is around 70 per cent. On P.E.I., the results have been even better.
“Last year, 100 per cent of the interns got employment at the end of the program, and we’re hoping the same thing is going to happen this year,” he said.
Applications for the fall cohort are open throughout the summer. Galloway said the program aims to have around eight interns in the group. More information is available on the program’s website.
How the program works
Applicants begin with an intake process, followed by an assessment day, where all applicants come together to take part in simulated hospital tasks such as data entry and wheelchair handling.
“It gives us a better idea of the individuals. It also gives them an opportunity to interact together, and we see who fits together, because it’s important to have a good fit among the interns who participate in this program,” Galloway said.
Selected interns complete three 10-week unpaid internships in various hospital departments.
For instance, those placed in environmental services learn how to clean to hospital standards and to operate industrial cleaning equipment.
“That’s what’s kind of cool about doing it at a hospital, because you actually get the opportunity to experience a lot of different types of employment,” Galloway said.
On top of the on-site training, interns take classroom lessons to develop transferable skills like time management, communication and conflict resolution, he said.
“It’s about learning those transitional skills that apply to every job — you know, the appropriate way to behave in the workplace, the skills that benefit in every workplace, the ability to communicate effectively. If there’s a problem, how do you deal with it? We teach those skills.”
Once the program ends, Galloway said Tremploy’s employment assistance service helps connect interns with job developers who work with them to find positions.
