‘Everyone has abilities’: Statewide program provides internships to 200 Wisconsinites with disabilities

An event in Green Bay Wednesday highlighted efforts around the state to help Wisconsinites with disabilities find jobs.

Four interns at Aurora BayCare Medical Center graduated from the state’s Project SEARCH Program. They were among the 200 high school and college-age people statewide to participate in the 2022-23 program.

Wisconsin’s Project SEARCH program launched in 2008 and has provided workforce training to approximately 1,500 state residents with disabilities since, according to Delora Newton, administrator of the state Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

She said the program has grown significantly from only one Madison-based employer when it launched to nearly 30 around the state including Bellin Health in Green Bay, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and manufacturing facilities.

“They learn soft skills. They learn workplace etiquette,” she said. “But then they also do rotations throughout the employer that’s sponsoring them, and they learn practical work skills.”

Newton said more than 1 in 10 American adults have a disability, saying they represent an “untapped talent pool” for employers.

“They want to contribute,” she said. “Employers can see the value of hiring people with disabilities. We have about 26,000 individuals we’re working with at any one given time throughout the year.”

In a video message that played during the Aurora BayCare interns’ graduation ceremony, Gov. Tony Evers said he was proud of the interns’ hard work.

“Every worker in the state is critical to our community’s and our economy’s success and that includes those with disabilities,” he said.

Four interns worked at the hospital in food service, the mail room, labor and delivery, the emergency department and infection prevention.

“We look and see what’s the skill set of our interns themselves and what skills they need to develop,” said Thomas Miller, the hospital’s president. “And we usually find jobs or parts of jobs within that department that can make the most sense.”

Emergency Department supervisor Micki Foytik served as one of the mentors for this year’s interns. During the graduation ceremony, she said Aurora BayCare’s interns were excited about learning new things and taking on challenges.

“It is you as interns that actually mentor me,” she said. “You have shown me that everyone has abilities, and can grow, learn and do and have a job. Thank you to each and every one of you for letting me see your abilities, your accomplishments, your enjoyment and (for) helping us in the hospital.”

One of those interns is Angela Crowder, who has been hired to continue working at the hospital in food service. She said she’s always wanted to work in food service for either a hospital or nursing home, and she looks forward to continuing working with those she met at Aurora.

“I’m excited because I got to meet a lot of friends and then nice coworkers in food service,” she said.

Likewise, Miller said he’s happy that Crowder was able to find employment with the health care provider upon finishing Project SEARCH.

“We were really grateful that we got (her) paired up with the right mentor within our food service team, and that employment was available afterward,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to see someone find what they’re really good at and what they like doing.”