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Tony Evers, Governor
Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2022
CONTACT: DWD Communications
CommunicationsOffice@dwd.wisconsin.gov

DWD, Sauk Prairie Healthcare Celebrate Graduation of Four Local Project SEARCH Interns

Graduates from the 2022 Sauk Prairie Healthcare Project SEARCH class pose for a photo with DWD Deputy Secretary Pam McGillivray. Left to right: Josh LaHaie, Bobby Simpson, Daniel Ranum, Corwith Alice, Pam McGillivray

PRAIRIE DU SAC – Josh LaHei, a graduate of Sauk Prairie High School, says Project SEARCH, "was a safe place to work and if I made a mistake, my co-workers helped me through it and I learned from it."

"The most important thing I learned from Project SEARCH is to have confidence in myself," Josh said. "I now have much more confidence than I have ever had."

Thanks to the skills and experiences he gained through his Project SEARCH internship, Josh has been hired at Mueller Sports Medicine and he's also passed the test to receive his driver's permit. Josh looks forward to continuing to pursue his goal of earning his driver's license.

"The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development celebrates over 180 Project SEARCH graduates throughout the state who have explored new skills, expanded their opportunities, and earned a sense of pride through rewarding work," said DWD Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek. "In Wisconsin, some 171,000 people with disabilities are not attached to the labor market, yet we know many want to work. With our record-low unemployment rate, supporting these individuals in achieving their employment potential has never been more important."

The graduation ceremony held at the Sauk Prairie School District Administration Building in Prairie Du Sac on Wednesday, June 1, marked the completion of an immersive work experience. Each of the four interns recounted their hands-on experiences and talked about their future career opportunities.

2022 Sauk Prairie Healthcare Project SEARCH graduate Josh LaHei gives a presentation on what he learned during his Project SEARCH internship.

In addition to the host site and DWD's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the local internship experience was made possible by partners including MARC, Inc., Inclusa, TMG, and the Sauk Prairie, Reedsburg, and River Valley school districts. Statewide, 25 premier employers are participating in Project SEARCH this year.

Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort among DWD, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, area schools, local employers, and long-term care organizations to help interns acquire marketable, competitive, and transferable skills that lead to employment. The interns complete multiple 10-week rotations to maximize exposure to different career paths, learning employability skills in a classroom and hands-on job skills within the business environment.

Started at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 1996, Project SEARCH has provided workforce training to nearly 1,500 Wisconsinites since its statewide launch in 2008. For more information, visit the Project SEARCH Wisconsin website.

ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers, and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation, and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.