Project SEARCH Prepares Young Adults for Employment

Project SEARCH partners with Phoenixville Hospital and Ardent Credit Union to prepare young adults with disabilities for employment.

By Aubrey Hoffert

Project SEARCH, a transitional KenCrest youth program, prepares young adults with disabilities for competitive employment opportunities. Project SEARCH partners with Ardent Credit Union representative Heather Johnson, to help ensure interns of the Phoenixville Hospital Project SEARCH cohort become successful. Over six weeks, each intern learns the importance of financial literacy and gains the confidence to budget their finances. Each intern goes through three rotations to learn a variety of skills that lead to paid employment. But, one of the most important aspects they learn is to understand the fundamentals of saving and how to maintain good credit. That’s where Ardent Credit Union comes in. The organization helps empower a neuro-diverse workforce to achieve greater independence with financial courses.

Throughout the course, interns learn skills to manage money, create a spending plan, efficiently navigate basic banking, reduce debt, and how to use credit wisely. Additionally, each intern gets a “Stash and Cash” bank account at Ardent Credit Union. Funding the first $5.00, Ardent’s “Cash” account is exclusive for earners ages 13-26 and works like a checking account. Then, the interns receive a free debit card and earn reward points, with no monthly fees or minimum balance. The “Stash” account works as a saving account and provides rewards for users to tuck away their money for the future. While the Project SEARCH interns spend most days honing their professional skillset, Ardent Credit Union helps them hone their financial freedom.

About Project SEARCH at KenCrest:

Project SEARCH is a nationwide program designed to prepare young people with disabilities to be successful in competitive integrated employment. KenCrest operates two Project SEARCH programs in partnership with Phoenixville Hospital and GlaxoSmithKline. Additionally, each student works three rotations in various departments to gain skills and employment experience. Learn more about the program by visiting the Project SEARCH page under Community Supports & Services.