Project SEARCH at Lakeland Community College

At Lakeland, when we say "Opportunity Start Here,” it isn’t just for college students, it’s for the community. One way Lakeland helps create opportunities is our partnership with Project SEARCH.

"Project SEARCH is a one-year transition program from school to work and it's for students with developmental disabilities."

"But we prefer to focus on what their abilities are with their job sites. What are the skills they can do."

Project SEARCH is a partnership between Lakeland and community organizations to provide career training and guidance as well as support now and into their career.

Representatives from each of the partners are involved throughout the year to make sure the needs and goals of the student are met.

"The first week of Project SEARCH we get to know the students more and we get to see what their interests are and kind of get a feeling for who they are as a person and what they would like to do in the future. "

"We work together with our students to try to realize their goals. They set their goals and we find ways for them to achieve those goals."

Students complete three ten-week internships to explore a variety of career paths and to learn marketable work skills. The students work in various departments at Lakeland with the support of a job coach from Project SEARCH.

"The skills they learn help to show the students that they can lead productive and fulfilling lives and gain confidence as they transition from the academic world into the workplace."

"These are all high school students that will be able to, once they acquire a skill, can go out and get a job where somewhere down the line they are self sufficient."

"Chandler has been a great impact on our staff. I think Chandler is getting the opportunity to develop some skills, certainly, confidence. He's getting the opportunity to develop personal skills and relationships in the college community and in the community as a whole. And so I think it's been really good for him, but again I think it's been good for the college community as well. It's allowing both of us to grow."

"And it's showing students that they have the tools around them to get competitive employment and know that they can find a job after school and carry themselves and have independent living. Just knowing that they have a future for themselves and it's really important for them to see what these kids are capable of doing."

In addition to internships, Project SEARCH includes classroom activities that are suited for independent living. Students learn about finances and budgeting, personal health and communication skills for use in and out of the workplace.

"So they learn a lot of independent skills here and they just feel so proud of themselves and, you know, we recognize that success and help them continue to feel proud and encourage that. "

The changes in the students are quickly noticeable.

"Right now, they're more outgoing. They have more confidence in what they're doing. We see them everyday learning more skills, getting faster at what they're doing."

"From day one, the kids, some of them are shy. And since now, it's been about two months, they're communicating with their supervisors, their job coaches, they're excited to be working and you can see the passion that they have when they're actually working at their internships."

"Being on the college campus gives them a chance to interact with the students here, they interact with some of the instructors here and they learn that this is a place they can feel comfortable and they can potentially come here. And it might not be this year, but it might be a couple years down the road so this is a great segue for them."

The transition from the academic world to the workplace is difficult for many. For students with disabilities that change can be even harder. Project SEARCH is an opportunity for these students to get the skills and support necessary to find fulfilling employment.

"Mainly the focus is on getting them jobs in the community, but we don't want them to have just any job. We want them to have a good job that there's possibly a future for them so that they're contributing in the community just like everybody else.
It's very rewarding. I mean we're setting a path for students to set up their careers and something for them to look forward to in their future."

Project SEARCH at Lakeland Community College, Opportunity Starts HERE.