WELLINGTON COUNTY – A new skill building opportunity awaits in the fall for students at two local school boards.
Announced last week, Project SEARCH will be coming to the University of Guelph in September, offering hands on training for those with intellectual disabilities within both the Upper Grand and Wellington Catholic District School Boards.
Peggy Blair, Superintendent at UGDSB, says the goal of the hands-on program with internships, is to better the rate of these individuals finding gainful employment.
Jeff Mawhinney, Special Education Coordinator at Wellington Catholic District School Board, added the program will give students across both boards training that will inherently prepare them for challenges they’ll face in the workforce.
Blair says stats have proven the effectiveness of the program she says has a rich background.
Mawhinney went on to say the founder of the program from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital noticed not a lot of students with intellectual disabilities were employed.
She said she started to employ them but noticed it didn’t necessarily work too well. Mawhinney says that’s where this training comes into play.
An information night will be held in order to educate on the program in the coming months.
