Northern Health proudly welcomed Project SEARCH, an internationally recognised supported employment program helping young people with disability build the skills, confidence and experience they need to pursue meaningful employment.
Running from June until December 2026, the program will see ten interns complete structured workplace rotations across departments at Northern Health’s Epping campuses, gaining valuable hands-on experience in a real healthcare environment.
Project SEARCH provides interns with the opportunity to develop practical workplace skills, explore different career pathways and build their confidence, while being supported to work towards long-term employment outcomes.
Throughout the program, each intern is supported by their Northern Health hosting manager, supervisors, and workplace buddies, where assigned, as well as WISE Employment support staff who are embedded on-site.
The goal is simple – to equip every intern with real-world skills and confidence that will support them throughout their career, wherever that may take them.
Debra Bourne, Chief Executive, Northern Health, who championed the initiative, welcomed the interns and encouraged them to embrace the opportunities ahead.
“Everyone has an important role to play, and you will too. You’ll be part of Northern Health, you’ll be part of the team, you’ll be part of the staff and you’re important to us. It’s a huge learning opportunity for Northern Health, and we are really pleased to have you as part of our team,” said Ms Bourne.
A range of departments have stepped forward to host interns as part of the initial Project SEARCH intake, providing opportunities to experience the diversity of roles and career pathways available within a large health service.
Participating areas include Patient Services, Infection Control, Accounts, Supply, Transcultural and Language Services, Allied Health, Health Information Services and People & Culture.
Interns get the opportunity to build experience across areas such as patient support, administration, infection prevention, finance, inventory and logistics, language and cultural support, allied health, and health information management.
The program is being supported by hosting managers from across Northern Health, including Wendy Nicol, Barsha Baral, Betty Smilevski, Abbas Raza, Rodney Whitwell, Anmol Singh, Yue Hu, Claire Ackland, Trisha Abbey, Amanda Hicks, Lisa Bedelis and Michelina De Gennaro.
Northern Health’s Chief People Officer, Rebecca Hodges, said the organisation is proud to support programs that create meaningful employment pathways for young people.
“Our Project SEARCH interns have shown that talent comes in many forms when people are given the opportunity to succeed. Their dedication, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives have already enriched our workplace and reinforced the value of creating an environment where everyone can reach their full potential.”
“Project SEARCH is about more than gaining workplace experience. By welcoming interns into our teams and supporting them to contribute in meaningful ways, Northern Health is helping create pathways to employment while fostering a workplace where people of different abilities, experiences and backgrounds have the opportunity to thrive,” she added.
A heartfelt thank you goes to all participating managers, supervisors, buddies, and departments who have embraced the program and opened their teams to Project SEARCH interns. Their support has been playing an important role in helping each intern develop their skills, discover their strengths, and take their next steps towards employment.
We look forward to following the interns’ journeys throughout the program and celebrating their achievements along the way.
Visit the intranet for more information.
If you would like to get involved with the program, contact: Thouseef.mohammed@nh.org.au