An 'Unsung Hero': Partnership Provides Job Skills to Underserved Students

Leah Coleman, a Tupelo Public School District (TPSD) graduate, scans leg pumps in 2020 at North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) as part of Project SEARCH Mississippi student internships. Coleman is one of three TPSD graduates recently hired by the hospital for full-time positions. She previously completed an internship in the hospital’s sterile processing division. Photo by Adam Robison, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Carl Smith

A lifetime of success can come down to whether someone has access to the right skills and opportunities, and a partnership between the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services(MDRS), local health care providers and numerous schools across the state is providing employment skills and workforce opportunities to a segment of traditionally underserved students so they can successfully transition into adulthood.

Since its 2018 launch at Jackson’s University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), almost 100 participants with disabilities or other special needs have graduated from Project SEARCH Mississippi, a nine-month employment preparation program that immerses learners in workplace internships at seven local hospitals.

While at their local facility, students continue their traditional studies — classroom space is provided — and rotate through different worksites and tasks, thereby diversifying their hard and soft skill sets in a bid to make them more competitive for jobs after high school.

The work is paying off. Of the completers, about 60% have gained employment. For example, three Tupelo High School students from the school’s last two graduating classes gained full-time jobs at the same local hospital, North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC), where they previously interned.

Shaniya Cook, a TPSD graduate who completed Project SEARCH Mississippi, works in NMMC's laundry services. Cook is one of three TPSD graduates hired to full-time positions by the hospital in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Sondra Davis, the chief human resources officer for NMMC’s parent organization, North Mississippi Health Services, praised the program for not only providing the hospital a direct pipeline of workers, but also helping the group fulfill its mission: improving the lives of its community members.

“I think Project SEARCH Mississippi is an unsung hero in terms of giving traditionally underserved students a chance at being successful,” she said.

“For us, it was a win-win. It’s a great way [for students] to get critical work experience and to understand some of the expectations of work.

“We are the largest employer in the area, so I think we have some expectations about how we can help provide opportunities in several areas,” Davis added. “Conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion aren’t just about race or ethnicity — they should also include those individuals who might have disabilities. We’re improving the lives of these students by bringing them in and helping them learn skills. Whether they come to work for us or find roles at other places, we’ve improved their life.”

Ryan Bullock, a TPSD graduate who completed Project SEARCH Mississippi, works in NMMC's division of food and nutrition services. Bullock was hired by the hospital for a full-time position last academic year. He previously completed a rotation at the hospital's biomedical services division before a full-time position in food and nutrition opened.

For Faye Culpepper, an MDRS division director who oversees the implementation of Project SEARCH Mississippi across the state, the evidence of the program’s impact is clearly shown on participants’ faces.

“We have students who come into the program and do not make eye contact with others, have no smiles on their faces and have a limited vocabulary. After nine months, they walk out of here with their heads up while waving at and having conversations with everyone,” she said. “They’re walking out shaking hands and getting employment — it totally changes their whole outlook on life.

“It’s not just about providing work skills; it also helps them socially. They come out of their shell,” Culpepper added. “We have parents who tell us they didn’t know their child could achieve these types of goals. Project SEARCH Mississippi gives these students purpose.”

Davis encourages all businesses and industries — not just health care-related providers — to seek out Project SEARCH Mississippi graduates for employment.

“For us, there wasn’t a downside, even if we had to provide a little extra time and training. These are human beings, and they just need a chance,” Davis said.

Mikel Mallard, a former TPSD special education student, processes packages as he works for NMMC's distribution and receiving area in 2020 as part of a Project SEARCH Mississippi student internship.

Photo by Adam Robison, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Project SEARCH Mississippi currently operates at Jackson’s UMMC (Rankin County School District) and Mississippi Baptist Medical Center (New Summit School and Clinton Public School District), Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, Petal and Lamar County school districts), Laurel’s South Central Regional Medical Center (Jones County School District), Merit Health River Region in Vicksburg (Vicksburg Warren School District), Kosciusko’s Baptist Memorial Center-Attala (Kosciusko and Attala County school districts) and NMMC in Tupelo (Tupelo Public School District).

Future Project SEARCH Mississippi partnerships are planned in Brookhaven, Greenwood, Ocean Springs, Oxford and Philadelphia. The Greenwood program is expected to partner Viking Range LLC with local students and offer a nonhospital setting for learning and skill enhancement.