'Everyone Has Abilities': Statewide Program Provides Internships to 200 Wisconsinites with Disabilities

"I'm excited because I got to meet a lot of friends and then nice coworkers in food service."

That's how Angela Crowder describes her time as an intern at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wis., where she worked in food service, mail room, labor and delivery, the emergency department, and infection prevention, per Wisconsin Public Radio.

On Wednesday, Crowder was one of four interns to graduate from the state's Project SEARCH program, which helps people with disabilities find jobs, reports the Green Bay Press Gazette.

The 200 high school and college-age people graduated from the state's 2022-23 program, which has provided workforce training to about 1,500 people with disabilities since it was launched in 2008, per Delora Newton, administrator of the state Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Newton says the program has grown from just one Madison-based employer to nearly 30 around the state, including Bellin Health in Green Bay, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and manufacturing facilities.

"They learn soft skills," Newton tells WPR.

"They learn workplace etiquette.

But then they also do rotations throughout the employer that's sponsoring them, and they learn practical work skills."

During Wednesday's graduation ceremony

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