A number of population groups face unique barriers to entering and remaining in the workforce in Canada. Individuals with disabilities and youth are two such groups, each with higher-than-average unemployment rates in Ontario and Canada. Youth with disabilities, representing a group facing intersecting barriers to attaining and maintaining gainful employment, tend to face even higher levels of unemployment despite desire and ability. Research and practice-based evidence indicate that a “start early” approach that integrates youth into the world of work during high school leads to greater lifetime workforce attachment.
In this webinar, Laura Bowman and Carolyn McDougall discuss the shared responsibilities across sectors and groups for facilitating youth with disabilities’ early entrance into the workforce. They start by sharing two illustrative models for youth connection to the workforce to ground the discussion (Holland Bloorview’s Employment Pathways model; Model of Embedded Employment Supports for People with Disabilities). They then give three practical examples of how their teams are working to action the “start early” approach from a policy level, a community & business level, and a programmatic/individual level. This webinar builds understanding of the multi-level benefits of a start early approach to employment participation for youth with disabilities and it reveals the shared and unique roles we all play in facilitating this group’s engagement in our workforce.
