News
Pure Innovations to evaluate a new Government programme: Project SEARCH
Pure have recently been successful in being offered the chance to evaluate a new cross-Government programme Project SEARCH in two regions of Greater Manchester: Bolton Council with Firwood School; and in the City of Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester, The Manchester College and Central Manchester Foundation University Hospitals NHS Trust.
As set out in the launch of Valuing Employment Now, the government invited proposals from local partnerships interested in running the Project SEARCH model in England, and evaluating its success. The selection process was completed at the end of October and 12 sites have been selected to implement Project SEARCH from September 2010 and take part in the Government evaluation of the model. Each site will receive advice and guidance on preparing for implementation from the Valuing Employment Now delivery team, which is based within the Department of Health. The delivery team will also lead the Government evaluation.
Project SEARCH is a business-led partnership that enables young adults with disabilities to gain and maintain employment through training and career exploration. A college tutor and job coach run a year-long programme of work training for 8-12 people via a series of work placements in a host employer organisation. The students will learn competitive transferable and marketable skills leading to employment in order to secure and retain full employment with the host organisation; others leave the scheme ready for work and generally secure employment elsewhere.
Rachel Roberts-Newton and Caroline Morgan from the Business Development Team along with representatives from our partners attended an event at Admiralty House, Whitehall in London where delegates from each of the locations met with Johnathon Shaw, Minister for Disabled People. In addition, some of the North West team went to Norwich where they were trained by the founders of Project Search from Cincinnati.
We are delighted that we are involved in this new project, continuing to strengthen the Pure Employment model of supported and customised employment. There is great potential for Pure to replicate Project SEARCH in the North West through the partnership between education, employers, young adults with disabilities, allowing businesses to gain greater access to an untapped labour pool that can make a substantial contribution to their operations.
For more information on this project please contact us on 0161 474 5900 or email enquiries@pureinnovations.co.uk
