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Preparing young adults with disability for employment
- Authors:
- TAYLOR Brian J., McGILLOWAY Sinead, DONNELLY Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 12(2), March 2004, pp.93-101.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Young people with disabilities are often excluded from the labour market. This paper describes an evaluation of an innovative 2-year pilot initiative called Vocational Opportunities in Training for Employment (VOTE) implemented in Northern Ireland to provide employment training and support for vulnerable young adults with a wide range of disabilities. Its principal aims were to assess the impact of the service in the extent to which it had created and developed training and employment opportunities for young people and promoted inclusive working partnerships. Documentary analysis was used as a basis for describing and assessing objectives in combination with face-to-face interviews with a small number of key stakeholders. A total of 122 young people participated in the initiative in the pilot period, during which time 160 qualifications were obtained. Key stakeholders expressed positive views about the initiative, in particular its therapeutic benefits and the extent of interagency working and shared learning. The VOTE initiative achieved considerable success in enabling a significant proportion of young adults to engage in society by developing social and employment skills and by improving employment opportunities and prospects. Factors critical to the continued success of this and similar initiatives include close involvement of parents, addressing local employers' concerns, sympathetic treatment of workplace issues and effective partnership working.