October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and as the month closes out, Naval Air Station Oceana is hosting its second wave of Project SEARCH interns. Project SEARCH is a program that connects high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to internships and on-the-job training.

The program, which runs the duration of the school year, equips students with the skills they need to enter the workforce. Last year, NAS Oceana hosted its first group of eight interns, who graduated from the program in June following a successful year learning valuable job skills.

“Four of our Project SEARCH interns are now employed here at Oceana,” said Jan Varney, an Instructional Specialist for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. “Two interns are employed out in the community, one intern is working on job placement, and we are helping one intern enter a vocational program.”

Interns have been placed at the Navy Exchange, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, NAS Oceana Public Works Department, and both of the base’s fitness centers. Program coordinators hope to expand the internship opportunities to even more facilities onboard the installation.

“I work in customer service, working the front desk, and answering the phone,” said Tessa Ewing, a Project SEARCH intern at NAS Oceana’s Flight Line Fitness Center.

Ewing began her internship in September, successfully completing two weeks of classroom training before placement at the fitness center. She runs through a checklist of tasks each day, and works closely with instructors to refine her skills and develop independence.

“The partnership between the base and our schools has been a great collaborative relationship,” Varney said. “We have an untapped workforce here. This program is an opportunity to grow our community and showcase our interns’ abilities, teach them new skills, and help them learn about the military.”

Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort between Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Didlake, Inc., the Virginia Department of Education, and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.

Original Story: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/432231/nas-oceana-partners-with-project-search-help-young-adults-with-disabilities

Source: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

Published: October 28, 2022