Tony Evers, Governor
Amy Pechacek, Secretary

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2024
CONTACT: DWD Communications
CommunicationsOffice@dwd.wisconsin.gov

DWD, Mercyhealth Hospital, Celebrate Graduation of Seven Local Project SEARCH Interns

Project SEARCH Program Prepares Young Adults with Disabilities for Rewarding Careers

Project SEARCH graduates and instructors at Marquardt Village in Watertown — Graduates and staff pose for a picture at the conclusion of their Project SEARCH graduation at Mercyhealth Hospital in Janesville, Friday, June 7. Pictured are (from left to right): Director of Pupil Services School District of Janesville Kim Peerenboom, Community Solutions Skills Trainer Tiffany Casillas, Interns Dawson Blum (back), Laura Rousch (front), Carlos Cordero, Natasha Davis, Joey Warthen, Jason Njoo, Dominic Ommodt, and Project SEARCH Instructor Nick Jones. Barely visible behind Dominic Ommodt is Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Deputy Administrator Meridith Dressel.

JANESVILLE – Natasha Davis spent the past nine months learning new skills and trying new work opportunities at Mercyhealth Hospital through Project SEARCH, a collaborative program overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).

Davis, a graduate from the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, particularly enjoyed working in the hospital's cafeteria and kitchen, where she discovered that if she pushed herself, she could do anything.

"It was hard at first," Davis said. "but the instructors believed in me and kept pushing me to believe in myself."

Davis, along with six other students and adults with disabilities, celebrated the completion of Project SEARCH on Friday, June 7, during a graduation ceremony that drew friends and families to Mercyhealth Hospital in Janesville. With help learning new work skills through Project SEARCH, Davis is relocating to Janesville to begin a full-time job working for Mercyhealth Food Services.

"The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is excited to celebrate the state's nearly 200 Project SEARCH graduates, who have explored new skills, expanded their opportunities, and earned a great sense of accomplishment in the work they have done over the past nine months," said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. "In Wisconsin, successful programs like Project SEARCH reaffirm the tremendous skills and talents individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce, and that success would not be possible without the dedicated employers and statewide partners who deliver the program, day in and day out."

The graduation ceremony at Mercyhealth Hospital on June 7 in Janesville, marked the completion of a nine- to 12-month immersive work experience. The interns recounted their hands-on experiences and talked about their future career opportunities.

Kaylie Cavil, who is blind, reads remarks she prepared detailing her experiences during the internship.Her grandmother holds the microphone for her so Cavil can use both hands to read from her portable brail display. — Mercyhealth Food Services Manager Shelly Anderson-Beatty (center) poses with her two favorite interns, Natash Davis (left) and Dominic Ommodt (right). Natasha and Dominic made such an impression on Shelly during their rotations in the hospital's cafeteria and kitchen that she offered both positions in Food Services…and both accepted!

In addition to the host site, the local internship experience was made possible by partners including the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Mercyhealth Hospital, the Aging & Disability Resource Center, and the Janesville and surrounding School Districts. Statewide, 28 premier employers are participating in Project SEARCH this year.

Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort among state vocational rehabilitation agencies, area schools, local employers, and long-term care organizations to help interns acquire marketable, competitive, and transferable skills that lead to employment. The interns complete multiple 10-week rotations to maximize exposure to different career paths and learn both employability skills in a classroom and hands-on job skills in the business environment.

Started at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 1996, Project SEARCH has provided workforce training to over 1,800 Wisconsin residents since its statewide launch in 2008. For more information, visit Project SEARCH Wisconsin.

ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.