Award winning project seeks Interns

A multi-award winning project that supports young adults with learning disabilities to find and keep paid employment is looking to recruit further people to benefit from its services starting in September.

Project SEARCH is a partnership that provides real work experience based in Derriford Hospital Plymouth, where interns learn the skills that all employers need together with specific skills for individual jobs.

The scheme supports young adults with learning disabilities aged between 18 and 24 who are living in the Plymouth area, by providing three internships within Derriford Hospital running alongside a Level 1 academic course.

In its first four years 69% of the interns have gone on to achieve competitive paid employment.

Graduate Intern, Daniel Kerley (pictured), who gained paid employment within the hospital as an Administration Assistant said: “Project SEARCH has helped me by giving me a chance to work in the hospital and show what I am capable of, it inspired me to get a job.

“When I was told I had got the job I could not stop smiling for days.”

Daniel talks about the longer term benefits that employment has to offer; “Being paid means a lot as now I can do more things like driving lessons and helping pay family bills.

“Project SEARCH is a good experience, it will actually help you out a lot to develop your skills and get experience to get a paid job.”

It’s not only the interns who gain from this innovative scheme as employers acquire trained staff who are fully committed to work.

Hein Scheffer, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, said: “Plymouth Hospitals is proud to be an employer with a diverse workforce that reflects the surrounding population and being a partner in this project has reinforced our view that employers should focus on people’s abilities and not their limitations.”

Project SEARCH is a partnership between Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Pluss, Serco and City College Plymouth who work together to create employment opportunities for young adults living in Plymouth who have learning disabilities.

Pluss Employment Advisor, Pip Critten, commented: “We are proud to have levelled the playing field enabling young people with learning disabilities to gain and sustain mainstream employment.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who may not normally be considered for employment to prove, through practical experience, that they are just as capable as anyone else.”

Project SEARCH are now recruiting for their sixth year and are holding information events for students and their families on Wednesday 29th April and Thursday 30th April.

For further information or to book a place contact Pip Critten on 07771 967804 or 01752 439008.