MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU-WDLB) — Marshfield’s Project SEARCH program has received a state award.
The Marshfield Clinic Health System was one of four Wisconsin recipients of this year’s America’s Job Honor Awards, presented November 28th at a recognition event at the Monona Terrace in Madison, hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.
The program allows young adults with disabilities to achieve careers through internships provided through a class taught at the Clinic by Anne Dick, who was recognized by the Marshfield Board of Education last night.
“They were seeing that the Marshfield Clinic Health System was in support of overcoming those barriers to employment by looking out and reaching into different opportunities. Such as Project SEARCH and providing new internships and new ideas for accessing different types of jobs for different people.” Project SEARCH is a vocational training program for adults with disabilities and gets them into businesses–developing career paths and jobs out in the community.
“It’s a partnership with the Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Opportunity Development Center, Marshfield School District, and then many other agencies. You know it takes a team of people, but it’s so worth it.” Under the partnership program, the school district supplies the educator, the Clinic provides classroom space and internships, and the Opportunity Development Center provides support services. Seed money comes from the state Workforce Development Department’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. There are 27 Project SEARCH programs around the state, and Marshfield’s was one of the first.
