Innovation New Jersey
  • Home
  • Our Coalition
    • Contact Us
  • News
  • Resources
    • State Supports
    • Federal Supports
    • Higher Ed Supports
  • Join Us

Innovation News

Everything Innovation. Everything New Jersey.
Follow us and stay connected.

Project SEARCH Brings Internships to Special Needs Students

10/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Cherry Hill, NJ — Anjalee Khemlani reports in NJBIZ that most job applications today end with a series of diversity and inclusion questions, including, “Do you have a disability?”
 
Those answering “yes” are a growing part of the workforce, according to a recent U.S. Department of Labor report, which reported an increase in employed individuals with disabilities or developmental issues, despite a current increase in unemployment of the general public.  
 
And while there has been greater awareness in recent years of employing individuals with disabilities, one organization has been championing the idea for nearly two decades.
 
And it is coming to New Jersey.
 
Project SEARCH, which began in Cincinnati, is launching for the first time at a handful of New Jersey hospitals this year. The unpaid internship program helps young adults gain useful skills and experience that can be used on a job application.
​Project SEARCH has launched at Hackensack University Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center and Kennedy Health.
 
Debbie Deissroth, corporate director of learning and development at Kennedy Health, said that, in all her years of being in the human resources profession, this is the most impressive program she as ever seen.
 
The program allows for individuals who are able to live independently and desire meaningful work — beyond basic part-time or shift work — where they can grow in a profession, Deissroth said.
 
Kennedy Health has partnered with Y.A.L.E. School, which has 12 campuses across New Jersey that address the needs of students on the autism spectrum, helping them with social learning while offering emotional and behavioral support.
 
Kennedy Health is working with students on the autism spectrum.
 
They began with an orientation period in September, which included being in a classroom environment for an hour to prepare for the day. They also have job coaches, learn etiquette and business skills, as well as social skills that many take for granted, Deissroth said.
 
The interns work in a variety of departments for four hours a day. The goal is to have them develop skills in three of the 10 departments that agreed to participate at Kennedy.
 
Following the internship, a business advisory council, which includes business leaders in the region, offers networking and employment opportunities. The students may also be offered employment at Kennedy.
 
Currently, there are seven students at Kennedy, Deissroth said, but other areas of the country where the program has been a success have had double that.
 
For Khemlani’s full story, click here.
 
To follow Anjalee Khemlanie on Twitter @AnjKhem.
 
 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Do not miss a single innovative moment and sign up for our newsletter!
    Weekly updates


    Categories

    All
    3D Printing
    Academia
    Acquisitions
    Aerospace
    Agriculture
    AIDS
    Algae
    Alumni
    Animals
    Architecture
    Astrophysics
    Autism
    Awards
    Big Data
    Bioethics
    Biofuel
    Biomedical
    BioNJ
    Bioterrorism
    Bit Coins
    Brain Health
    Business
    Camden
    Cancer
    CCollege
    Cellular
    Centenary
    Chemistry
    ChooseNJ
    Climate Change
    Clinical Trials
    Cloud Tech
    Collaboration
    Computing
    Congress
    Coriell
    Council On Innovation
    Crowdfunding
    Cybersecurity
    DARPA
    Defense
    Degree
    Dementia
    Dental Health
    DOC
    DOD
    DOE
    Drew
    Drones
    Drug Creation
    Einstein's Alley
    Electricity
    Energy
    Engineering
    Entrepreneurship
    Environmental
    FAA
    Fairleigh Dickinson
    FDA
    Federal Budget
    Federal Government
    Federal Labs
    Federal Program
    Finance
    Food Science
    Fort Monmouth
    Fuel Cells
    Funding
    Genome
    Geography
    Geology
    Global Competition
    Google
    Governor Christie
    Grant
    Hackensack
    HackensackUMC
    Healthcare
    Health Care
    HHS
    HINJ
    Hospitals
    Immigration
    Incubator
    Infrastructure
    International
    Internet
    Investor
    IoT
    IP
    IT
    Jobs
    Johnson & Johnson
    K-12
    Kean
    Kessler
    Legislation
    Logistics
    Manufacturing
    Medical Devices
    Med School
    Mental Health
    Mentor
    Microorganisms
    Molecular Biology
    Montclair
    NAS
    Neuroscience
    Newark
    New Jersey
    NIFA
    NIH
    NIST
    NJBDA
    NJBIA
    NJ Chemistry Council
    NJCU
    NJDOLWD
    NJEDA
    NJEDge
    NJHF
    NJII
    NJIT
    NJMEP
    NJPAC
    NJPRO
    NJTC
    Nonprofit
    NSF
    OpEd
    Open Data
    OSHE
    OSTP
    Parasite
    Patents
    Paterson
    Patients
    Perth Amboy
    Pharma
    POTUS
    PPPL
    Princeton
    Prosthetics
    Ranking
    Rare Disease
    R&D Council
    Report
    Resiliency
    Rider
    Robotics
    Rowan
    Rutgers
    SBA
    Seton Hall
    Siemens
    Smart Car
    Smart Cities
    Software
    Solar
    Space
    SSTI
    Startup
    State Government
    STEM
    Stevens
    Stockton
    Subatomic
    Supports
    Sustainability
    Taxes
    TCNJ
    Teachers
    Telecom
    Therapy
    Thermodynamics
    Transportation
    Undergraduate
    USEDA
    Verizon
    Video Game
    Virtual Reality
    Water
    WHO
    William Paterson
    Women In STEM
    Workforce Development

Home   Coalition   News   Resources   Events   Join Us
Picture
Innovation New Jersey Coalition
10 West Lafayette Street
Trenton, NJ 08608-2002
609-858-9507