Employers

HIRE A PROJECT SEARCH GRADUATE

Project SEARCH graduates excel in roles that are complex and systematic. They have more than 700 hours of hands-on work experience, as well as the technical and soft skills your organization requires.

There are many benefits. Your organization will:

• Engage a diverse talent stream with skills that match labour needs

• Increase performance and retention in high-turnover positions​

• Access a demographic of the economy with intense buying power: people with disabilities and their friends and families represent one of the fastest growing market segments in Canada​​

• ​Build customer loyalty and overall organizational performance. ​​

​Goodwill Industries, the employment agency linked to the Project SEARCH Sarnia program will support you and your new employee in recruitment, start-up and job maintenance.

What types of jobs are a good fit for Project SEARCH candidates?

• Project SEARCH graduates have a range of career interests, skills and strengths. They excel at jobs that are complex and systematic, requiring someone who can follow procedures and routines with a consistently high standard of performance. They want quality jobs that are permanent, full or part-time (minimum of 20 hours a week) and that pay minimum wage or higher.

What is an intellectual or communication disability?

• Like people without disabilities, people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities are all different. However, an intellectual or communication disability may affect a person’s reading, writing, verbal and written communication, problem solving, learning speed, and social interactions.

What accommodations will the Project SEARCH candidate need if I hire them?

Often, there may be no special accommodations required.  Strategies that support most workers to do their best include:

• Getting to know the employee’s unique interests and strengths 

• Clear, concise language

• Clear procedures/ steps for the job and consistent expectations for timing, quantity, quality and/or method.

• Clear deadlines

• Clearly identified supervisor(s)

• Direct, timely feedback

 What support is offered to employers who hire Project SEARCH graduates?

• Goodwill Industries is an employment agency that will continue to provide support to each Project SEARCH site and graduate. Their role is to facilitate matches between employer needs and graduate career goals, experiences and skills. The employment agency makes a coaching support plan with you – specific to the employee’s and the employer’s needs. A job coach can assist the employee in completing onboarding requirements, learning the job tasks and routines, as well as understanding the workplace expectations and culture. The job coach can provide disability confidence education for co-workers and can demonstrate effective training, communication and feedback strategies. The job coach fades involvement over time, in collaboration with the employee and employer.

• A job coach can partner with you in recruitment, job start-up and/or if new tasks, challenges or opportunities arise.

 Where can I get more employer information and resources?

• Learn more from ODEN about the benefits of inclusive workforces and how to get started.