Media Advisory: Real world, real success
In collaboration with Thames Valley District School Board and Hutton House, St. Joseph’s Health Care London is providing valuable work experience to students with intellectual disabilities.
London Ontario – London high school student Jeuel Alpuerto is preparing for his future and learning new skills at St. Joseph's Health Care London, not letting an intellectual disability hamper his passion for cooking and his goal to work in a restaurant.
St. Joseph’s, in partnership with Thames Valley District School Board and Hutton House, is hosting a 10-month school-to-work transition program for students with intellectual disabilities called Project SEARCH. The initiative involves collaboration among community organizations to establish internships that help prepare these students for the working world.
As a host organization, St. Joseph’s is currently providing seven students with internships in various programs and services at Parkwood Institute. The young adults rotate through three different internship positions during the school year.
“The students who intern at St. Joseph’s are in their last year of high school and are using this time to gain skills necessary to transition to employment,” Tracy Couture, Project Search instructor with Thames Valley District School Board. “The goal for the students is ultimately to find competitive employment after graduation.”
St. Joseph’s welcomed its first Project SEARCH interns in September 2023 and established a classroom onsite for the program. Instruction is supported by a teacher from Thames Valley District School Board and a skills trainer from Hutton House.
“The interns begin their day learning employability skills in a classroom,” adds Tracy. “They then spend time within St. Joseph’s programs where they learn practical and social skills such as teamwork, following instructions and time management.”
Jeuel is completing his last internship placement before graduating within the Food and Nutrition Services program. From sanitizing dishes, loading carts and preparing meal trays, he is learning valuable skills that will help with job employment in the future.
“I’ve learned a lot of skills,” says Jeuel. “It’s been a great experience. I also like to cook so it was nice to be in kitchens.”
“It’s an honour to be involved in a program that has such a positive impact on the interns’ lives and to raise awareness of the value they bring to workplaces,” says Sandy Jansen, St. Joseph’s Vice President of Patient Care and Risk Management.
“This initiative also works to build alliances in our region and foster equity and well-being of our community and workplace. We are proud of all of our Project SEARCH interns and are grateful for the meaningful work they do.”
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For more information and to arrange interviews:
Allison Hansen, Communication Assistant
St. Joseph’s Health Care London
519 646-6100 ext. 61501
@email
About St. Joseph’s Health Care London
Renowned for compassionate care, St. Joseph’s Health Care London is a leading academic health care centre in Canada dedicated to helping people live to their fullest by minimizing the effects of injury, disease and disability through excellence in care, teaching and research. Through partnership with Lawson Health Research Institute and our collaborative engagement with other health care and academic partners, St. Joseph’s has become an international leader in the areas of: chronic disease management; medical imaging; specialized mental health care; rehabilitation and specialized geriatrics; and surgery. St. Joseph’s operates through a wide range of hospital, clinic and long-term and community-based settings, including: St. Joseph’s Hospital; Parkwood Institute; Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care; and the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care. For more information, visit https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/.
About Project SEARCH
Developed at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996, Project SEARCH has since expanded worldwide and has several participating sites in Canada. The program is a unique school-to-work training program for students with disabilities. Students are immersed at a host organization and receive more than 700 hours of hands-on work experience geared to in-demand roles in the local labour market. They learn employability skills and plan their careers with guidance from a teacher and skills trainers. A local employment agency supports graduates and their employers.