Project SEARCH UK - Evaluating Its Employment Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Project SEARCH UK is an internship program designed for young individuals with intellectual disabilities transitioning from education.
• The program aims to facilitate employment opportunities for participants nearing the completion of their schooling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Project SEARCH UK in providing employment opportunities.
• To determine the employment rates achieved by participants in the Project SEARCH UK program.

Main Methods:

• Data were collected from all 17 operational Project SEARCH UK sites.
• Employment outcomes for 315 participants were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The analysis indicated that Project SEARCH UK achieves an average employment rate of approximately 50%.
• Pay and employment-related data were available for a subsample of participants.

Conclusions:

• Project SEARCH UK is a significant contribution to supported employment services in the UK.
• The program's unique model offers insights into best practices for supported employment.
• Findings have implications for the development and improvement of other supported employment initiatives.