The relationship between participation in Project SEARCH and job readiness and employment for young adults with disabilities

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although there are currently more than 200 Project SEARCH programs throughout the U.S., evidence supporting the program's efficacy remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examines the relationship between participation in Project SEARCH, a business-led transition program, and job readiness and employment rates of 10 young adults with disabilities. METHODS: Baseline and end-of-year data were gathered on participants' job readiness skills using a 29-item Job Readiness Assessment Tool (JRAT) developed for this purpose. Interviews with key stakeholders were conducted in order to identify perceptions regarding areas of growth for participants, as well as ongoing challenges. RESULTS: Based on JRAT scores, participants demonstrated significant growth overall, as well as demonstrating significant growth in a majority of specific entry-level job skills and workplace behaviors. Sixty percent of participants were offered permanent jobs within three months of the program's conclusion. No significant differences emerged between job coach/instructor evaluations and supervisor evaluations. End-of-year JRAT scores were significantly higher for participants offered jobs than for those not offered jobs. CONCLUSIONS: The Project SEARCH model holds promise for increasing participants' job readiness and employment rates. Further, the JRAT may offer a useful means of predicting job readiness for Project SEARCH participants.

Factors impacting employment for people with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

“…Outcome measures. Overall, measures utilised in the employment outcomes studies were primarily characterised as descriptive and observational, with several studies developing their own outcome tools (Howlin and Moss, 2012;Lorenz et al, 2016;Müller and Vangilder, 2014;Ohl et al, 2017). Outcomes were reported according to job type, hours worked, wages earned, and support services required and were supplemented by employee self-reports and anecdotal employer accounts of job performance.…”

Toward Competitive Employment for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: What Progress Have We Made and Where Do We Need to Go

“…Wehman and colleagues (2016), in a randomized controlled trial of Project SEARCH plus Autism Spectrum Disorder Supports (PS-ASD), showed that students with significant needs who participate in internships with job and behavioral supports are more likely to gain employment than students who do not receive these services. Other research has demonstrated an increased chance of postsecondary employment and job readiness through participation in SEARCH training (Muller & VanGilder, 2014).…”

“…Direct, hands on work experiences prior to exiting high school enable students with disabilities to learn not only job skills but also to acquire the "soft skills" that greatly facilitate CIE (Muller & VanGilder, 2014;Wehman et al, 2016). Soft skills, or workplace social skills, such as greeting coworkers, engaging in appropriate break room conversation, and making eye contact are important to workplace success (Morningstar, Lombardi, Fowler, & Test, 2017).…”

Employment supports in early work experiences for transition-age youth with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

“…According to the National Technical Assistance Center on Transitions (NTACT), such instruction is an essential characteristic of early work experiences as a predictor to improve independent living outcomes (NTACT, 2018). Müller and VanGilder (2013) found that interns who were offered jobs at the end of one year in a Project Search program that included skills instruction scored higher on a job readiness assessment than their peers who were not offered jobs. In a national Delphi study, 35 national experts in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) reached a consensus on a list of the top 26 promising or evidence-based VR practices.…”