Project SEARCH workshop to work: Participant reflections on the journey through career discovery

BACKGROUND: Over recent years, New York State has engaged in efforts to transform the sheltered workshop system. Through this effort, a variety of innovative models have been piloted to assess effectiveness in supporting sheltered workshop participants to train for and transition to competitive employment in the community. One particular pilot program adapted the Project SEARCH high school transition model for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: As part of a larger evaluation effort, this project aimed to document the individual growth of program participants, as well as their self-perceived readiness for employment. METHODS: Ten individuals participated in a 12-month program, where they participated in up to four internships. Participants were interviewed multiple times, beginning at the start of the program, and again at the end of each internship. Interviews were video recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify common themes. RESULTS: The career discovery process of exposure to community-based work opportunities, included as part of the Project SEARCH program, led to to an increased ability to express vocational strengths and self-determined career goals. Participants articulated a readiness to enter the workforce and demonstrated a desire to take on more personal and financial responsibility. The program model was successful in transitioning 63% of participants into competitive employment. However, successful transition was not achieved by participants who had been in the workshop for more than 5 years prior to entering the program. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to assess the appropriateness of the Project SEARCH model for those with the most significant disabilities who wish to transition from a workshop into competitive employment, particularly those individuals who have been in a workshop setting for an extended period of time.