Benefits, Dole or Social Role the value of early transition to employment explored

Presenters Ms. Catherine DevineDirector of Services, WALK Mr. Arthur BeecheyCEO, Agoriad CYF, Wales Mr. Des HenryProject Coordinator, Walkways Ms. Rachel Stevens Director, Empowerall,

Introduction Human Potential-Challenges us to maximize! Our Beliefs - Disability & Careers? Traditional Services - How are we doing? What happens if I have no career aspirations, expectations or path? How can we develop and support genuine career paths? The Walkways PEER Model solution.

Career Choice Survey Activity to assess the process of choosing a career for each attendee at the workshop.

Don’t Waste my Potential Challenge your Beliefs

Beliefs Beliefs are not necessarily what’s true or factual in the real world. The power of each belief comes only from the individual believer. That means you can believe whatever you want to believe. As long as you believe it to be true, it will be true in your life.

Beliefs Consequently, you will attract events, experiences and people in your life to match your beliefs. For this reason, it is crucial to adopt only the beliefs that serve you and to let go of those beliefs that limit you. What are your beliefs about people with disabilities working in the open labour market?

Beliefs While beliefs can be very empowering they can be equally disempowering. Many times our beliefs are negative, or pessimistic about a person, situation, even ourselves, and they limit us and sabotage our results.

Beliefs Analyse your beliefs? Are they helping or hindering? Do they move you forward or hold you back? Do your beliefs guide you to create a presence in someone’s life, that increases or decreases their independence?

Traditional Services Welfare Dependency Service Dependency Social Dependency Human Rights Dependency Do people that come into services ever leave? What does progression & career development look like for them?

What are your beliefs about people who have a disability and careers?

Are we wasting human potential? An ESRI report says, people with disabilities in Ireland are half as likely to be employed as the non-disabled peers. 36% of people with a disability are employed compared with 77% of other adults. Census 2011 shows that youth unemployment in Ireland is running at 38% while we are in a crisis at 14% in the general population.

Are we wasting human potential? The “Creating Policies That Work 2013” report states that a young person with a disability is 40% more likely not to be participating in employment, education or training compared to their non-disabled peers. The School Leaver’s Survey report 2008 shows that 14% of young people left our schools without completing the Leaving Certificate.

What is the cost to our society Eurostat said in February 2013 that youth unemployment is costing Ireland 2% of GDP. What is the potential financial cost to the state of such wasted Human Potential over time if such a large cohort or people are not contributing economically? What is the social cost to society if such a large cohort of people are excluded from economic activity, socially isolated, lacking confidence, self-esteem, suffering mental health difficulties and without hope?

What is the Solution? Why wait to intervene until people are so distanced from the labour market that they are without hope? It costs much less to support a person who is closer to the labour market to get and keep employment. Why wait until our young people have left education before intervening? When is the right time to engage young people with employment and career choices?

What is the Solution Irish Reports including, Creating Policies That Work 2013 The National Development Plan New Directions, from the HSE look to offer flexible choices and new options for young people. They focus on the need for alternative activities, education, training and employment opportunities for young people and how they might be created through education and training programmes.

Walkways PEER Programme Providing Equal Employment Routes An innovative early intervention model, to engage and support progression towards economic activity Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Programme (Interreg 4A) A person centered, collaborative approach which supports the development of individual personal progression plans and actions to achieve the individual’s employment goals

Walkways PEER Programme Beliefs Every person is able to do a job when and if the time is right in their lives. A job means getting paid for doing work at the open labour market rate, in the same way as other colleagues and having equal employment rights The number of hours per day or week that a person can actually work is different for everybody. Support to gain and maintain employment should be for as long as a person needs. No more and no less.

Walkways PEER Programme Innovation Engage young people before they are distanced from the labour market and in collaboration support the person to Clarify their goals Identify their challenges Develop a SMART progression plan Recruit & train PEER support (if required) Engage with education & training providers for suitable programmes to help progress towards goals Engage with suitable employers for opportunities to help progress towards goals.

Walkways PEER Programme Innovation Support through all the steps of the employment “ladder” The goal is employment! Education, training & unpaid work experiences are steps on the ladder and not outcomes! Support development of social roles Support development of natural supports Support capacity building

Walkways PEER Programme Experience Walkways PEER Programme Walkways Programme Evaluation Ms Rachel Stevens, Empower All

Conclusion Results of the “Career Choice Survey” Summary of presentation key points Questions & Answers Close