Brand New Program Helps Disabled Prepare For Workforce

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Updated: 11:23 PM Nov 3, 2009 Brand New Program Helps Disabled Prepare For Workforce Grand Island Saint Francis Medical Center is the first to pilot a program helping people with disabilities find employment. Posted: 9:14 PM Nov 3, 2009 Reporter: Sara Geake Email Address: sara.geake@1011Now.com

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For the first time in Nebraska, a new program is helping people who may find it harder to get a job.

The majority of Nebraska's disabled are unemployed, but now the Husker State is trying out a program called Project SEARCH that's been used in other states.

Jackob Link never thought about what he wanted to do after high school. Now he knows.

"I'm hoping to probably get a job here once I leave this program," he said.

That's thanks to a pilot program at Saint Francis Medical Center that's offering internships to high school students with disabilities-students that could find the job hunt difficult.

"The unemployment rate for adults who have disabilities is at 70 percent. That's a national statistic and it's no different in Nebraska," said Amy Phelps, employment assistant for Saint Francis.

Link has a learning disability, among others, but he's working in the hospital's maintenance department.

"This is teaching the job skills that I will need to survive on my own," said Link.

"It's teaching them competitive transferable life skills so that when they graduate form high school they can go out into the community and are able to compete for jobs," said Phelps.

Saint Francis is benefiting too. Phelps says helps the hospital recruit workers.

To show off the new program, Saint Francis encouraged more people to get involved during an open house Tuesday.

"We're hoping other employers in Grand Island come in to see how we're training the students, what type of jobs the students might be good at in their facilities," said Phelps.

Saint Francis is one of four pilot programs.

Phelps says Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney has started a Project SEARCH program, and similar programs will start in Lincoln and Norfolk in January.

Project SEARCH started in G.I. in September.

Federal stimulus funding is paying for the program this year. Phelps says she hopes to get grant money to fund the $30,000 program next year.

Latest Comments

Posted by: D on Nov 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM

Having Polio and being disabled, it is hard to find a job, even with a drgree. As a young man my choices were not as many as should have been, as I get older thy become less. You may be shocked at a the names of companies that may be guilty of discrimination, I do not say this lightly, over the years I have recieved hand written notes in the mail saying sorry they wish they could have hired me, these people took a chance and I threw the notes away. I hope this program can help disabled people not only get jos, but better jobs.

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