BACKGROUNDER
About Project SEARCH Toronto
Project SEARCH is an international, transition-to-work program for young people with intellectual disabilities. Its main objective is to prepare students for employment with job skills training through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on career training at work site locations.
As the first of its kind in Toronto, the 2019/20 cohort is made up of 10 carefully selected high school students from across the city. Halton is the only other city in Ontario that has implemented the program. In Canada, the only two other Project SEARCH sites are both in Manitoba.
In their final year of high school, Project SEARCH Toronto students are immersed in 10 months of learning and co-op placements at Toronto Rehab - UHN and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Holland Bloorview). A typical day begins and ends with classroom instruction, led by a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) teacher. Topics focus on life skills such as time management and professional communication. Students are supported in their co-op placements (through three co-op rotations) by the teacher and jobs & skills developers from Community Living Toronto. The co-ops build on one another and, twice during each rotation, each student and family meets with the teacher, job & skills developers, supervisors and other partner agency staff to develop a personalized employment plan. Community Living Toronto then provides follow-up employment support after graduation, to help students secure quality jobs.
Unique features
- Success rate: Upon completion, about 75 percent of the students find gainful employment within a year of graduation. According to a 2017 Canadian survey on disability, people with very severe disabilities faced lower employment rates. About 59 percent of working -age adults with disabilities were employed compared to 80 percent of those without disabilities.
- Multiple, integrated experiential learning (co-op) placements that build skills for real world jobs with intensive coaching & learning support.
- Inter-organizational partnerships
- Family involvement
- Council of business leaders (Business Advisory Council) to inform skills training and help open doors for employment
Partners
The Project SEARCH program model was introduced in Ontario as an innovative best practice by the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN). Project SEARCH Toronto is powered by partnerships including ODEN, the business site hosts (Holland Bloorview and Toronto Rehab-UHN), an educational partner (TDSB) and a developmental service partner (Community Living Toronto). United Way Greater Toronto’s Career Navigator program funded job skills training supports.
All six partner organizations are involved in providing leadership for the operations of Project SEARCH Toronto.
The Project SEARCH model was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996 and has spread to 600+ sites worldwide.
Media contacts:
Ashley Cruz, senior media relations specialist
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
acruz@hollandbloorview.ca; 416-425-6220 x6409
Ellen Rosenberg, senior public affairs advisor
Toronto Rehab – University Health Network
ellen.rosenberg@uhn.ca; 416-597-3422 x3524