San Francisco — In partnership with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Toolworks was able to launch Project SEARCH at the UCSF Medical Center more than four years ago— with the intention of training and preparing individuals to obtain the skills needed for them to obtain permanent employment.
The program has since helped more than 30 interns.
Toolworks is a non-profit organization founded in 1975, dedicated to helping out individuals with disabilities find employment and eventually achieve economic independence. To make this aim a reality, Toolworks launched Project SEARCH in Cincinnati in 1996, and started collaborating with establishments such as hospitals in an effort to give individuals with disabilities the preparation they need in order to get hired.
Kristy Feck, Toolworks’ CEO, told:
“We were so excited when we saw the program in Cincinnati. Hands-on training in technical, skilled work is exactly what so many people with disabilities, especially those with developmental disabilities, need in order to achieve economic independence. We knew we had to find the right partner and get this going in San Francisco.”
The Project SEARCH in UCSF has now expanded to three of the school’s campuses, and Toolworks continues to provide the necessary classroom instructions, on-the-job training, and job placement assistance for its interns.
Source: on the SFGate website: People with disabilities find work with new San Francisco program