Our eight Project SEARCH interns will graduate from the program on Thursday, Nov. 19. Festivities are planned at 10:30 a.m. at the Ankeny Hy-Vee, 410 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny, and at 2 p.m. in the Euclid Room, next door to the Hy-Vee at 2540 E. Euclid Ave., Des Moines
Project SEARCH is a national vocational training program that helps people of all abilities to secure competitive employment. Goodwill of Central Iowa became involved in 2013, when we partnered with Hy-Vee to implement the program in metro Hy-Vee stores. In 2014, the program tripled in the number of participants, and was expanded from one to three Hy-Vee stores. In addition, that year, eight of the nine participants were hired by Hy-Vee upon graduation.
Our Project SEARCH interns work in retail sales, food preparation and customer service at Hy-Vee stores during their nine-month internship. Successful interns gain valuable retail skills and self-confidence through the program.
This year, Goodwill was recognized nationally when Project SEARCH presented to our program the Employment Outcome Award for our graduates’ high rate of employment after graduation.
This year’s Project SEARCH graduates are Charity Hodson, Katie Brown, Tayler Olson and Zack Brown, all at the Ankeny store, and Chelsi Steinbach, Mary Horn, Nick Hartley and Zack Mosqueda, at the East Euclid Store.
Chelsi Steinbach interned this year at the East Euclid Avenue Hy-Vee.
Tayler Olson interned at the Ankeny Hy-Vee.
