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DWD, Aurora BayCare Medical Center Celebrate Graduation of Six Local Project SEARCH Interns

Project SEARCH program prepares young adults with disabilities for rewarding careers

GREEN BAY – Connie Pada first learned about Project SEARCH when her pre-vocational supervisor from ASPIRO, Inc. recommended her for the program. At the time, Connie was working on a government contract sewing pieces of Tyvek coveralls for the military. When she first heard about Project SEARCH, she was excited, but nervous about working in the hospital during the pandemic.

Upon beginning the program, Connie did not know what she wanted to do after program completion, but her positive attitude and willingness to learn new things allowed her to grow in ways she never thought possible.

“I am most proud of learning to clean machines in the hospital," she said. "Project SEARCH is a lot of fun and you learn a lot about the jobs in the hospital."

Throughout her time with Project SEARCH, Connie excelled in learning new tasks, navigating complex environments, and becoming more independent. Her favorite internship was in food service where she learned safe knife handling skills, portioning, serving customers, and basic cold food prep. Connie's experiences and the skills she learned during her Project SEARCH internship led her to decide to seek a position in the food service industry after graduation.

"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 Aurora BayCare in Green Bay on Tuesday, June 28, marked the completion of an immersive work experience. Each of the six interns recounted their hands-on experiences and talked about their future career opportunities.

In addition to the host site and DWD's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the local internship experience was made possible by partners including ASPIRO, Inc., Lakeland Care, and the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Brown County. 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.

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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.