Hire a Talented 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. ​​

​The employment agency linked to the Project SEARCH program in your community supports you and your new employee in recruitment, start-up and job maintenance. For more information, read Employer FAQs below.



NEW! Project SEARCH Virtual Info-Session Slide Deck
This slide deck gives an excellent high-level overview of the Project SEARCH program and details what this experience could look like for you as an employer. 

Contribute Your Experience

You may be interested in becoming a Business Advisor for a Project SEARCH site or supporting Project SEARCH students with their career preparation activities.

Project SEARCH Business Advisors share industry-specific knowledge to help ensure that the combined classroom and hands-on training builds the skills needed for entry-level success. Business Advisors also help open doors to employment for Project SEARCH graduates by making introductions to people in your network.

Project SEARCH sites may look for business connections for career preparation activities such as:

• Worksite field trips to learn about different types of industries and roles
• Resume development
• Practice interviews
• Mentor interactions

Please contact your local Project SEARCH site or projectsearchcanada@gmail.com

Host a Project SEARCH Site

Organizations in a wide range of industries host Project SEARCH programs. Some examples include: distribution centres, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, municipal and regional governments, utilities. Each site requires an education partner, an employment agency partner and a host organization. Project SEARCH is a licensed program and Project SEARCH Headquarters supports new sites in their start-up. 

For more information, contact projectsearchcanada@gmail.com

Employer FAQs

We may be interested in hiring from this talent pool – what do we do first?

• Please reach out to us to arrange a meeting. We want to learn about your organization’s diversity strategy and hiring needs. We can discuss how recruitment through the Project SEARCH talent pipeline can support your recruitment priorities. We can connect you with other talent sources as well. Please contact your local Project SEARCH site or projectsearchcanada@gmail.com​
• You may wish to share with us specific roles (job descriptions) or learn about our candidates and then consider functions within your organization that would be a great match.

 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.

 How do we interview a Project SEARCH candidate?

• Many employers realize that interviews may not be the best way to recruit great employees. Project SEARCH candidates demonstrate their strengths best in a work-based interview or “work trial”. To design a work trial, think about tasks that are involved in the role and capacities that you require. What tasks will help you understand a candidate’s abilities and potential? A tour and short job shadow before the work trial may help the candidate understand your role and work environment, as well as feel more comfortable talking to you and doing the work trial.
• We recommend that interview questions are clear and concrete. For example: “Please tell us what tasks you performed in your co-op with the Finance department” rather than “Tell me about a time you worked with a team.”
• It’s ok to probe for additional information if the candidate gives a short answer.
• A member of Project SEARCH team can attend a work trial or interview to support the candidate in explaining how their experiences and skills match your needs.

                                           
 What accommodations will the Project SEARCH candidate need if I hire them?
 • Often, there may be no special accommodations.  Strategies that support most workers to do their best include:

• Getting to know the employee’s unique interests and strengths 
• Straightforward, clear language
• Clear systems/procedures for the job (steps) and consistent expectations for timing, quantity, quality and/or method.
  
• Clear deadlines.
• Clearly identified supervisor(s)
• Direct, timely feedback
• The employment agency working with you and the Project SEARCH graduate will support you in discussing accommodations to ensure you are set up for success.

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

• An employment agency is linked 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. The 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.