Hackney Council is helping young people with disabilities kick start their career: Project SEARCH launched at Homerton Hospital
Future career prospects are now looking much brighter for nine local young people with physical and learning disabilities, as they begin their ground-breaking Project SEARCH internships based at Homerton Hospital.
Launched by the Council’s Supported Employment Service, this is the first year the internationally acclaimed programme, which aims to remove barriers faced by young jobseekers with disabilities, has been run in Hackney.
The nine students, aged between 17 and 23, will work in a range of departments over the next academic year. They may be placed in a cafe, shop or even a maternity ward depending on their strengths and interests.
Each intern will spend their first week in a classroom setting at the hospital, learning personal and professional skills before embarking on their work placements.
In keeping with the Mayor’s manifesto commitment, our aim with Project Search is to help residents with disabilities to develop the skills and confidence that will help them gain permanent and full time jobs.
I am delighted that we have launched the programme this year, here in Hackney and wish the new recruits the best of luck.
The interns are looking forward to getting started with Project Search and are keen for the same success as recruits from similar projects from around the world.
Summai Lerner-Edgell, 17 from Clapton, joined the project after hearing about it from a family member.
I tried mainstream jobs and they just weren’t right for me, I didn’t receive the support I needed and so this is a really important opportunity.
I already feel like my confidence has been boosted and I hope that I can learn good skills that will help me find a job at the end of the project.
To find out if your business could benefit from having a Project Search intern in your place of work or to find out more about Supported Internships, please contact: Anna-Renee.Paisley@hackney.gov.uk