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DWD, River Falls Area Hospital Celebrate Graduation of Six Local Project SEARCH Interns

Project SEARCH Program Prepares Young Adults with Disabilities for Rewarding Careers

RIVER FALLS – Hailey Hagen-Bade was always afraid of hospitals and getting shots but, thanks to the encouragement of her father, she joined Project SEARCH and overcame her fears.

In addition to learning that hospitals are not scary, Hagen-Bade spent her mornings in the classroom with five other interns learning skills that she would apply to her internship rotations at the River Falls Area Hospital. She also applied the skills toward her part-time job working nights at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

"I liked going on all of the business tours and playing blacklight mini golf," she said about her time spent with Project SEARCH. "I also enjoyed the social interaction you got to have with people that you might not have gotten to know otherwise, both in class and in rotations."

Following graduation, Hagen-Bade hopes to continue working at the university café. She also is pursuing other work options at the UW-CHILD Center and local catering businesses.

"The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development congratulates nearly 200 Project SEARCH graduates who pushed themselves during the program year to explore new opportunities, develop additional life skills, and perform rewarding work over the past nine months," said DWD Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek. "In Wisconsin, programs like Project SEARCH are helping people with disabilities achieve their employment goals, and helping employers find highly skilled, motivated and loyal workers."

A graduation ceremony at River Falls Area Hospital on Thursday, June 1, in River Falls marked the completion of a nine- to 12-month immersive work experience. The interns recounted their hands-on experiences and talked about their future career opportunities.

In addition to the host site, the local internship experience was made possible by partners including the Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, River Falls School District, BRIDGE for Community Life, City of River Falls, Kinnic Health and Rehabilitation, Allina Health- River Falls Clinic, IRIS, Inclusa, and the Center for Independent Living.

Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort among 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 and learn 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 approximately 1,500 Wisconsin residents since its statewide launch in 2008. For more, visit Project SEARCH Wisconsin.

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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 Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.