BALTIMORE — In collaboration with with multiple departments, the Maryland Department of Disabilities announced the creation of the first Project SEARCH Statewide Coordinator position in Maryland.
Project SEARCH is a transition to work program for young adults with disabilities that provides hands-on training through internships at a host business site.
“Project SEARCH has an outstanding record of job placement,” said Carol A. Beatty, Secretary Maryland Department of Disabilities. “Having a Statewide Coordinator will improve our existing program’s outcomes and support growth of new sites around the state.
According to the MDOD, the Statewide Coordinator position was created to strengthen the existing 14 Maryland Project SEARCH programs, provide leadership and training to enhance model fidelity, and to facilitate growth of the Project SEARCH model throughout the state.
Funding for the position will come from the Development Disabilities Administration and Labor will be housed at the Maryland Department of Disabilities.
"We are pleased to be a partner in this effort to strengthen and enhance employment outcomes for young people with disabilities,” said James Rzepkowski, Assistant Secretary Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning at the Department of Labor. “Our workforce is strongest when everyone has the training and opportunity to participate."
