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Project | SEARCH
A School-to-Work Training Program

Project | SEARCH Brantford Community Partners

Project | SEARCH Norfolk Community Partners

Project | SEARCH Model

The Project | SEARCH model was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996. Currently, there are 650+ Project | SEARCH sites worldwide. The program reports that approximately 75% of students are employed within a year of graduation. This reflects the overall success of the program for graduates and their employers.

Project | SEARCH sites may offer transition-to-work training for high school students and/or young adults. Successful candidates who join Project | SEARCH will:

• Participate in a variety of work experiences within the host business during three ​8-10 week co-ops

• Acquire competitive, transferable and marketable employability skills

• Gain increased independence, confidence, and self-esteem

• Obtain work-based individualized coaching, instruction and feedback

• Develop links to employment support and other service agencies

What Project | SEARCH Looks Like

There are two facets to the Project | SEARCH program: employment skills instruction and employment skills application.

Each day begins in the Project | SEARCH classroom at the host business site where students learn employability skills. After the class, the majority of each day is spent in hands-on training. The work placements are selected to ensure that students develop the skills that are in demand in their local labour markets. Students end their day back in the classroom, reflecting on the day, journaling their key learnings, problem-solving, and planning. The program runs for approximately 10 months.

The teacher and skills trainers are onsite at the host business daily. In the classroom and on-the-job, they teach both the hard and soft skills needed for workplace success. In addition, students receive guidance from mentors, known as Champions, who are experienced staff of the host business. The mentors/ Champions act as advisors to guide the students’ skill development. They share real-world performance expectations, help the students reflect on the competencies they are developing and give open, candid feedback.

The ultimate goal is to support students to be successful in their post-graduation search for competitive employment, utilizing the skills learned in the work experiences and throughout the program. Some students may be hired by the host business where they trained. Others find employment in a range of industries in their local communities.

Project | SEARCH Host Businesses

Project | SEARCH Brantford's Host Business Site

Project | SEARCH Brantford's host business site is St. Joseph's Long-Term Care Home, located at 99 Wayne Gretzy Parkway, Brantford.

St. Joseph's Long-Term Care Home

St. Joseph's Long-Term Care Home is part of the St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre Campus of Care which also includes Stedman Community Hospice and several independent medical offices and services.

• St. Joseph’s Long-Term Care is the largest long-term care home in Brantford and Brant County with 205 beds

• One of only two not-for-profit homes in the area

• Excellent record with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Public Health

• Proud member of the St. Joseph's Health System

• Highest resident and family satisfaction within the St. Joseph's Health System since 2012

• Supported by funding from St. Joseph's Lifecare Foundation

Project | SEARCH Norfolk's Host Business Site

Project | SEARCH Brantford's host business site is Norfolk General Hospital, located at 365 West Street, Simcoe, ON.

Norfolk General Hospital

Norfolk General Hospital provides exceptional care to nearly 70,000 residents in Norfolk County and surrounding areas from before birth to end of life.

• Norfolk General Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in Norfolk County with 110 beds.

• In 2020, Accreditation Canada provided NGH with the highest accreditation award available - Accreditation with Exemplary Standing.

• Proud member of the Brantford, Brant, Norfolk Ontario Health Team.

• Supported by funding from the Norfolk General Hospital Foundation.

Project | SEARCH Brantford's Supported Employment Program Partner

Project | SEARCH Brantford's community partner is Community Living Brant.

Community Living Brant has been working with people to reach their employment goals for over 30 years, focusing on long-term employment supports that include:

• On-site job coaching and skills training

• Navigation of accommodations

• Person-centered planning and goal setting

• Resume and interview assistance

• Job development

Project | SEARCH Norfolk's Supported Employment Program Partner

Project | SEARCH Norfolk's community partner is Norfolk Association for Community Living (NACL).

NACL provides employment services to individuals with developmental disabilities who have or are looking to have meaningful employment opportunities as a part of living a full life in the community. 

Job Links is a service which aims to help individuals prepare for, obtain and maintain employment.

Apply to Project | SEARCH

Project | SEARCH Application Form 2023-24

Click this link to download the Project | SEARCH Application form.

The purpose of the form:

The purpose of this application package is to outline the skill set of the Project | SEARCH Brantford Student Applicant. Applicants are applying for a Grand Erie work placement at the St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre for the 2023-24 school year.

This application package allows the Selection Committee, which comprises representatives from Grand Erie School Board, St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre, and Community Living Brant, to properly assess each applicant’s skills, abilities, and background. The Selection Committee may contact a parent/caregiver, applicant, school staff, or reference to gather additional information. The goal is to select applicants who will be successful in the Project | SEARCH Brantford program and reach the outcome of competitive employment following graduation.

Hire a Project | SEARCH Graduate

Hire a Talented Project | SEARCH Graduate

Project | SEARCH graduates excel in roles that are complex and systematic. They have more than 700 hours of hands-on work experience, as well as the technical and soft skills your organization requires.

There are many benefits. Your organization will:

• Engage a diverse talent stream with skills that match labour needs

• Increase performance and retention in high-turnover positions​

• Access a demographic of the economy with intense buying power: people with disabilities and their friends and families represent one of the fastest-growing market segments in Canada​​

• ​Build customer loyalty and overall organizational performance. ​​

​Community Living Brant supports you and your new employee in recruitment, start-up and job maintenance.
 

Contribute Your Experience

You may be interested in becoming a Business Advisor for Project | SEARCH or supporting Project | SEARCH students with their career preparation activities.

Project | SEARCH Business Advisors share industry-specific knowledge to help ensure that the combined classroom and hands-on training builds the skills needed for entry-level success. Business Advisors also help open doors to employment for Project | SEARCH graduates by making introductions to people in your network.

Project | SEARCH may look for business connections for career preparation activities such as:

• Worksite field trips to learn about different types of industries and roles

• Résumé development

• Practice interviews

• Mentor interactions

Contact Project | SEARCH

Please use the form below for questions.
We are happy to answer any questions you have regarding Project | SEARCH Brantford or Project | SEARCH Norfolk.

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