Congratulations, Project SEARCH graduates!

Congratulations to the graduating class! Today, the City of Vaughan celebrated the end of the 2022/2023 Project SEARCH program with a formal graduation ceremony at City Hall. More good news – of the eight student interns who successfully completed the work-placement program, three have been hired by the City!

Project SEARCH is an internationally successful transition-to-work program for students with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The program focuses on preparing students in their final year of high school who can benefit from personalized support in an intensive year of career development and internship experience.

Since launching in 1996, Project SEARCH has more than 650 sites worldwide, including 11 in Canada. Vaughan is the first municipality in York Region to be a host business for the program. The initiative is a proud partnership with the York Catholic District School Board and Community Living York South.

Here’s how the one-year program worked: The school board provided a dedicated classroom teacher to deliver an employability skills curriculum, supported transit training in conjunction with York Region Transit and liaised with host business departments. The City provided mentorship, on-site training rooms and internship programs. Community Living York South provided skilled trainers to support interns in the training room and on the job during their internship rotations.

In September 2022, the students attended a class at Maple Community Centre to learn the employability skills curriculum. In October 2022, the first internship opportunity began. The second set of work placements took place from January to March 2023. A third round of internships ran from April to June 2023. The following City departments provided internship opportunities:

• Animal Services, By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services
• Facility Management
• Infrastructure Delivery
• Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
• Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations
• Recreation Services
• Transportation and Fleet Management Services
• Vaughan Public Libraries

A special graduation ceremony was held at Vaughan City Hall today in honour of the participants. Formal remarks were made by Mayor Steven Del Duca and York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) Director of Education Domenic Scuglia. Each of the eight program graduates were presented with a certificate for their successful completion of the program, and had their photo taken with the Mayor and YCDSB Director. City departments who participated in the pilot program also received a recognition plaque from the school board.

To learn more about the City’s commitment to foster an inclusive and respectful culture, visit vaughan.ca/DEI.

QUOTES

“I am proud that the City of Vaughan is the first municipality in York Region to host this extraordinary program. Designed to be an engaging year of career development that helps students of all abilities build and refine their skills and knowledge in a supportive environment, Project SEARCH is powerful and unique. In Vaughan, our goal is to build a community that is equitable, inclusive and welcoming for individuals of all abilities and backgrounds so everyone can thrive. I want to extend congratulations to all of this year’s graduates and wish them the best of luck as they pursue their bright futures, including some right here at the City!”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“Through the City of Vaughan’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, we are establishing Vaughan as a leader with a goal to foster a fully accessible community. This includes creating an inclusive workplace where people of all abilities can thrive. Unfortunately, our residents with disabilities continue to face challenges when looking for work and seeking workplace accommodations, which is why Project SEARCH is vitally important. Through this program, our City was able to break down barriers by opening doors for new employment, all while offering training opportunities and support. I extend my congratulations to all eight Project SEARCH students graduating from the 2023 program!”

- City of Vaughan Accessibility Advisory Committee Chair and Ward 5 Councillor, Gila Martow

QUICK FACTS

• The City of Vaughan is the first municipality in York Region to be a host business in the Project SEARCH program, providing a training room, mentors and internships.
• Various departments within the City of Vaughan have provided internship opportunities to allow for career exploration and training. They include Animal Services, By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services, Facility Management, Infrastructure Delivery, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations, Recreational Services, Transportation and Fleet Management Services, and Vaughan Public Libraries.
• This one-year pilot program concluded on June 28, 2023, with a graduation ceremony at Vaughan City Hall.

LEARN MORE

• June 6, 2023, Committee of the Whole (2) Report: Project SEARCH Implementation Report
• June 21, 2022, Committee of the Whole (2) Report: Project SEARCH – employment for person with different abilities
• The City of Vaughan’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion webpage