Ivy is an outgoing and friendly 19-year-old girl who has a passion for helping others however has struggled to find work due to her disability.

Ivy’s communication and comprehension skills are very limited and she had not been able to find stable employment despite being intelligent and highly motivated to work.

Her father is an Anaesthetist at the Wesley Hospital and discovered the Project SEARCH Internship Program and encouraged Ivy to participate.

Ivy began working at The Wesley Hospital in the food services and orderly teams which she really enjoyed.

After her internship Ivy expressed as desire to study a Certificate 3 in Health Services which was supported by the Project SEARCH team.

While studying she completed her practical training at the BlueCare residential aged care community in Kenmore.

Once Ivy had completed her certificate she was offered a role at not only BlueCare but also at The Wesley Hospital working at The Wesley Lodge in the hospitality and cleaning services team.

Ivy has recently completed professional development training at BlueCare and now has a certificate in dementia support.

Ivy's journey through the Project SEARCH internship program has been remarkable and her journey is a testament to the value of internship programs in supporting individuals with disabilities to gain meaningful employment.

Patient Administration Manager at The Wesley Hospital, Jessica works closely with Project SEARCH interns providing them with guidance, and support during their internships.

“Having interns from Project SEARCH benefits our department and the hospital as a whole in many different ways,” Jessica said.

“They bring diverse perspectives, unique skill sets, and a strong work ethic to their roles and contribute to the inclusive culture by demonstrating that people with disabilities can excel in the workplace.

“We have received so much positive feedback from interns who have completed their rotations and they have expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

To find out more about Project SEARCH please visit, On-the-job training | UnitingCare (unitingcareqld.com.au)