Employment Preparation
Daily experiences take place in a variety of employment settings, including local industries such as: retail, food services, distribution, environmental services, and childcare.
Project SEARCH Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative in partnership with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services is an innovative job-training program providing a nine-month internship program for young adults with developmental disabilities. Interns in the program complete (3) ten-week rotations at a partnering business with the goal of gaining the necessary skills to obtain competitive employment. Upon completion of the program, the Project SEARCH team provides assistance with finding competitive, integrated employment within the community and continued support during employment.
Meet the Project SEARCH Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative team.
With a goal of sustainable, competitive employment, Project SEARCH Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative in partnership with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services assists each intern with the development of positive work etiquette, business-specific vocabulary, job discovery, self-awareness, increased confidence, and life skills - all within diverse work environments. Our program offers a variety of innovative teaching methods and resources to prepare interns for the workplace, including:
Daily experiences take place in a variety of employment settings, including local industries such as: retail, food services, distribution, environmental services, and childcare.
Through three internship rotations, individuals participate in on-the-job training with daily support from the intern's business department, together with ACCESS skills trainers.
Project SEARCH offers a unique curriculum tailored to teaching young adults with disabilities the skills needed to find success in the workplace. Throughout the program year, interns work on employability and functional skills for approximately one hour of their day with a focus on: Team Building, Workplace Safety, Technology, Maintaining Employment, Self-Advocacy, Financial Literacy, Health and Wellness, and Preparing for Employment.
Following the intensive training program, the ACCESS team assists each inividual with identifying competitive, integrated employment opportunities and preparing for interviews.
Once employed, the ACCESS team assists with a graduate's transition to the workplace and will continue to support local employment through follow-along services and supportive employment.
Want to learn more about Project SEARCH Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative or interested in applying for the next program year? Visit our Project SEARCH website today.
Project SEARCH was developed and is based at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. There, the administrative team oversees a large international network of Project SEARCH program sites, maintaining an active, ongoing program of technical assistance, program evaluation, program development, and continuous improvement.
Since its inception in 1996, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children’s to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.
A division of the Department of Career Education, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) has been charged with providing opportunities for Arkansans with disabilities to lead productive and independent lives. This mission statement is the foundation for the programs and comprehensive services that ARS provides to individuals with disabilities to enable them to prepare for and enter the workforce.
In partnership with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and local businesses, ACCESS currently hosts multiple Project SEARCH sites across Arkansas:
