by: Cindy Bahl, Director of Business Development & Amplify! Events
Most of us are familiar with internship programs and perhaps have even been an intern at one point in life. We understand the value of interning; gaining experience and working on those soft and hard skills. Internships are often very competitive and sought-after experiences, providing an opportunity that can launch into a career. The international internship program, Project SEARCH is similar to a traditional internship, yet it has a unique focus of providing internship opportunities for adults and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
In this nine-month internship program, developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, a host business provides up to 12 interns with three different work experiences and includes an employment provider who specializes in the skills training and job placement of people with I/DD, like autism and Down syndrome. Collaboration occurs between all partner agencies as the intern is immersed in the host business, developing both soft and hard skills that will move them toward their ultimate goal of working in the community.
Meet Project SEARCH graduate, Brandon Runyan, a young adult who recently completed and graduated from the Project SEARCH site hosted by Embassy Suites by Hilton, Portland-Washington Square in Tigard and supported by Albertina Kerr, a local employment provider partner. Brandon shared his positive experience with me to help create awareness about the program and the contributions that he and others can bring to the workplace.
Cindy: What did you like about the Project SEARCH program?
Brandon: It doesn’t just teach you the hard skills of the actual job, it teaches you how to be a good worker in any job, how to be productive in the workplace, and how to be reliable.”
Cindy: What are some specific things that you learned and are using today, now that you are employed?
Brandon: How to read my paycheck! How to pay my own bills and budget for the things I want to buy like a Starbucks or new headphones.
Cindy: What is your job at Embassy Suites by Hilton, Portland-Washington Square location?
Brandon: I am a Breakfast Ambassador! I stock supplies, bus tables, and keep the dining area looking good. I interact with customers and have learned to balance a friendly conversation with the work, so I don’t talk too long. My supervisor, Joe Wehbi, said “coffee must flow”; I learned a lot from him.
Cindy: Do you think you would have this job if you had not participated in the Project SEARCH Internship program?
Brandon: Definitely not. I was on the way to being employable but not ready to hold a job. Learning workplace skills, practicing my communication, and interview skills made a big difference to me. My supervisor in Project SEARCH encouraged me to apply for this job. He recognized that I would be great as a Breakfast Ambassador and I applied, interviewed, and was hired.
Cindy: So, your internship was not the same as your current job?
Brandon: Yes, my internship was three months as a Lobby Attendant, three months in banquet, setting up for events, and three months as a Houseman, doing floors and housekeeping in different sections of the hotel.
Cindy: What do you like most about your job?
Brandon: I really like the breakfast! Ha! The people, they are like family. I am passionate about the work and function of the hotel and the hospitality industry; we are here to serve.
John DeRosa, Director of Sales and Marketing and Liaison with the Project SEARCH program shared, “Embassy Suites is so fortunate to host Project SEARCH in partnership with Albertina Kerr. Not only does this program offer real-life work experience for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but it offers our hotel a unique advantage of filling hard to fill positions with candidates who are ready to work.”
“Brandon has made a difference in the lives of our staff. He worked nine months in three rotations during his internship with Project SEARCH. Because of his hard work and dedication to the program, we hired him.“
Amplify! Success 2019 : The Benefits of Disability Inclusion in the Workforce
Join us October 16th, 1:00-5:00PM at Nike WHQ to hear the sounds of inclusion and learn about the many benefits of disability inclusion in the workplace.
For more information or to partner with us and become a sponsor of Amplify! Success 2019, contact Cindy Bahl @ 503-258-7715 or cindy@dirksecc.com
Amplify! Is an initiative of Dirkse Counseling & Consulting, Inc. That includes two annual events, Amplify! Success in October and Amplify! Rock Stars in May. Events are designed to inspire, empower and equip employers to create a more inclusive workplace for people with diverse abilities.
Becky Curran Kekula is the Director of the Disability Equality Index (DEI) at Disability:IN and she also happens to be a little person. Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College. Upon graduation, she sent out 1,000 job applications and went on 100 interviews, over the course of four months. After two temporary job assignments, she landed a temporary to hire position at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an American talent and sports agency that’s regarded as a dominant and influential company in the talent agency business and manages numerous clients. She was a temporary employee for seven months and then continued her path as a permanent employee. After working for CAA, CBS Television Studios, and Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), along with launching a public speaking business, Becky accepted her current position in November 2017. She’s passionate about proving that disability inclusion is good for business by advising companies to engage with the DEI and all of the programs that Disability:IN has to offer.
So, what does inclusion sound like? Come to Amplify! Success October 16th, and listen to our Keynote Speaker, Singer and Songwriter, Marissa Lelogeais of 
