Essentia Health-Fargo is beginning a new workforce development initiative aimed at providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to gain work experience and develop job skills.
This will be the first time Project SEARCH is launched in North Dakota, although it has been successful in 600 other locations in 47 other states and ten countries.
Kasi Eisenzimmer is school program manager, and says Essentia is partnering with West Fargo Public Schools to give young adults internships at Essentia where they will learn on the job skills.
"They might be in nutrition services, or environmental services. They might be on different departments doing room changes, stuff like that. Just learning different skills that could transfer to other employment as well."
Eisenzimmer says the kids are 18 to 21-year-olds with learning disabilities who are transitioning from school to the workforce. She says they may choose to stay working with Essentia, or use the skills they learned and transfer those to another job.
Essentia is also partnering with North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation Job Service and Community Living Services to offer Project SEARCH. Eisenzimmer says it has been successful and popular at Essentia’s Detroit Lakes location.
The program launches this fall.
