‘Magical’ Project SEARCH Program Builds Graduates’ Skills, Confidence
| Every morning at 7:30, Hunter Hatchett arrives at the Biomedical Research Building I on the UAMS Little Rock campus for his job as a lab technician. After pulling on a smock and gloves over his black scrubs, he sets about organizing and preparing supplies for the day.
It’s a job he became familiar with as a Project SEARCH intern, and he was asked to come back full-time after the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the 2020 Project SEARCH graduate said he has a sense of routine and responsibility that he didn’t have before.
“I would normally not do much around the house or even go out,” Hatchett said. “Now since I have a job, I have structure. I have to wake up at a certain time and make sure I have everything ready. The atmosphere is good, because I have a lot of people that want me to succeed, and I like the encouragement, and it helps me go about my day doing the best I can.”
The Project SEARCH ACCESS Initiative, in partnership with Arkansas Rehabilitative Services (ARS), is for young adults with developmental disabilities. Interns participate in the program and work in various UAMS departments with the goal of gaining necessary skills to obtain competitive employment.
UAMS was the first Project SEARCH ACCESS Initiative site in Arkansas, and the worldwide initiative has grown to include seven other sites across the state. Now entering its 12th year, UAMS’s program has graduated 93 individuals who have obtained sustainable employment, whether at UAMS or elsewhere. Two of the program’s inaugural 2013 graduates still work at UAMS. The program’s highest earning graduate makes $18.08 an hour with a 401K and benefits like paid time off.
Chancellor Cam Patterson, far right, stops after the ceremony for a photo with the Project SEARCH graduating Class of 2024.Evan Lewis
Nationwide, roughly 20% of people with disabilities are employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Project SEARCH graduates at UAMS, that rate jumps to 91%.
It’s a second chance for many who have been overlooked because of a disability. Sometimes it results in their first job. Often, it’s a move towards stability — both in work and in life.
“Project SEARCH is a magical program to me,” said Le Ann Robertson, UAMS Project SEARCH instructor and coordinator. “What I like best about Project SEARCH is how its approach is different from other programs. We have nine months with participants at our sites, and these individuals slowly build their skills so they have a strong foundation when they leave.”
Internships widely vary, ranging from rotations in patient transport and nutrition services to human resources and classroom technology. Interns learn the importance of general job skills like punctuality, courtesy and communication along with practicing for interviews.
Makayla Hill is a 2024 Project SEARCH graduate who works as an instrument technician at The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS, where she does “a little bit of everything.” She’s often working to decontaminate instruments after surgery and assemble clean sets.
“It’s been eye-opening because it’s something that I never thought I would do in a job,” Hill said. “I felt like [Project SEARCH] was a different thing I can do to open my eyes more on what opportunities I have.”
Ranal Freeman II, a 2023 Project SEARCH graduate, is also an instrument technician at The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital. He said he likes the responsibilities that come with the job.
“You have to maintain a routine of getting yourself up and ready,” Freeman said. “Whenever I’m introduced to a new task I get happy, because I always enjoy learning new things on the job.
It’s been a great experience. I definitely learn something new almost every day.”
Project SEARCH pairs participants to internships based on the skills they have when they come in. As they move to different positions, they’re encouraged to stretch themselves to do things they didn’t think they could do, Robertson said. Confidence quickly follows.
“Once their confidence begins to grow, they can take those first steps of independence,” Robertson said, which includes things like paying rent and buying their first car. “A lot of our parents say, ‘I dropped off a scared young adult, and I’m graduating a confident, independent young adult who’s ready to go out and face the world on their own.’”
Sam Wesley Jr., UAMS mailroom manager, is familiar with the process. He’s seen between 15 and 20 Project SEARCH interns come through his doors, calling it “a wonderful experience.”
“Watching them grow has been a joy,” he said. “People have kind of counted them out, but you get to watch them grow and succeed. Having them here with us, when we’ve really needed the help, has been a pleasure.”
Teddy Ferguson, a 2024 graduate, works alongside Wesley in the mailroom. By the time Ferguson was on his third internship rotation, Wesley called him back to offer him a permanent, full-time job there.
“We hired Teddy because he had proven himself worthy of the position,” Wesley said. “He knew so much and was a very quick learner. He did everything we asked him to and even did more. When a position came open down here, I was happy to offer him a job.”
Robertson said she sees the future of Project SEARCH as more of the same: graduating confident young adults to join the workforce in their community.
“Our individuals are dependable, long-term employees who add a lot to their employment site, just like anyone else,” she added.” I hope that legacy continues to grow in the future.”
When asked what Project SEARCH helped him learn, Freeman had a quick answer.
“You have to respect everyone, and everyone who has a disability matters.”