FACTORS THAT PREDICT EMPLOYMENT OF TRANSITION- AGE YOUTH WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS Michele Capella McDonnall RRTC on Blindness & Low Vision Mississippi State University

T HE P ROBLEM Low levels of employment among this population have long been a concern of blindness professionals Data from the Current Population Survey has documented the severity of the problem: 30% of youth with VI aged 16 to 19 are in the labor force 33% of these youth are unemployed Employment-population ratio is 19.8, compared to 29.2 for general population 49% of youth with VI aged 20 to 24 are in the labor force 20% of these youth are unemployed Employment-population ratio is 39.5, compared to 63.8 for general population

T HE P ROBLEM Although we know that low levels of employment are a problem, empirical research in this area is very limited Every state (through VR and/or private agencies) offers transition programs for this population Because research is so limited, the contents of these programs are not based on empirical evidence and results of the programs are generally not evaluated empirically. Identification of factors associated with future employment can help in the planning of effective transition programs.

T HE R ESEARCH C ONDUCTED Three longitudinal databases were used to identify factors associated with future employment for youth with VI: The Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program (LSVRSP) The National Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) The National Longitudinal Study of Youth 2 (NLTS2) Univariate (chi-square, t-test) and multivariate (multilevel modeling, logistic regression) statistical techniques were used to analyze the data Difference between univariate and multivariate techniques and what they can tell us

D ESCRIPTION OF S AMPLES LSVRSP – VR consumers with a primary or secondary code of VI who were 21 years old or younger at application (max N=41) NLSY97 – Participants in the study who indicated they had trouble seeing and that this limited their activities (N = 140; 623 observations) NLTS2 – Special education students (in secondary school at the start of the study) with VI as their primary disability (max N= 249); sample limited to those who were not currently in post-secondary school at Wave 4

F ACTORS S TUDIED Early work experiences (LSVRSP, NLSY97, NLTS2) School-sponsored work/School-to-work programs (NLSY97, NLTS2) Academic competence (LSVRSP, NLSY97, NLTS2) Education level (NLSY97, NLTS2) Self-determination (LSVRSP, NLTS2) Internal locus of control (LSVRSP) Self-esteem (LSVRSP) Use of assistive technology (LSVRSP, NLTS2) Involvement with VR counselor (LSVRSP)

F ACTORS S TUDIED Parental support/expectations (NLSY97, NLTS2) Health (NLSY97, NLTS2) Severity of vision loss (NLTS2) Receipt of SSI benefits (NLTS2) Transportation difficulty (NLTS2) Social skills (NLTS2) Basic daily living skills/mental skills (NLTS2) Self-confidence (NLTS2) Found own job (NLTS2)

R ESULTS Review table Clearly the most important predictor of future employment was early work experiences, including the number of work experiences. Academic competence was an important predictor in all three databases. There was also support for the importance of transportation difficulty, self-determination and parental support/expectations. Receipt of SSI benefits was not important when work experience was considered.

R ESULTS There was only partial (primarily univariate) support for the importance of social skills. For youth with prior work experience, whether they found their own job or not was a predictor of future employment (univariate analyses, NLTS2 only). Variables clearly not important to future employment: School-sponsored work activities School-to-work programs Self-esteem/self-confidence Empowerment & self-realization (self-determination subscales)

I MPLICATIONS : W ORK E XPERIENCES Early work experiences – while in high school and college – are key to future employment. The number of work experiences is also very important – the more experiences, the more likely the person will be employed in the future. Why are the number of experiences so important? Skills obtained (work-related & work-readiness) Employers look more favorably on prior experience Opportunity to obtain positive employer references Establishment of a network (contacts who can help you get a job) – is this the key?

I MPLICATIONS : W ORK E XPERIENCES Encourage youth to obtain work experience while in high school! Do not let focus on school work overshadow importance of work. Work experience should be obtained in the summer or even during holiday breaks. Teach youth how to find their own jobs and encourage them to do so. VR counselors: encourage (or help if necessary) youth to find part-time employment while in school Summer transition programs: focus on job seeking skills and obtaining work experiences

I MPLICATIONS : A CADEMIC C OMPETENCE Obtaining work experience while in school is important, but achievement and academic skills (particularly math) are also important. The actual level of education was not found to be especially important, just the academic skills the person had (while in high school). Youth and parents should be informed of these results, to encourage them to focus on achievement rather than just completion of assignments and passing grades. Educators: encourage youth to take the highest level academic courses possible to allow them to develop these skills

I MPLICATIONS : T RANSPORTATION An ongoing problem for persons with VI of all ages How can this problem be addressed? What is currently done? Transition programs: discuss the issue of transportation, the options, and how to problem solve in this area VR counselors: do individual counseling with clients on transportation options and how to problem solve in this area

I MPLICATIONS : N ON -S IGNIFICANT F INDINGS School-sponsored work and school-to-work activities were not associated with future employment – why? Is it because these are “artificial” work experiences that don’t provide the same opportunity to develop a network? or because use of job seeking skills weren’t necessary to obtain the jobs? or…? Is it possible that short-term work experiences obtained during summer transition programs also are not associated with future employment?

F INAL T HOUGHTS Clearly having multiple work experiences while young is important to future employment for youth who are VI. Obtaining academic skills is also important to future work. How can youth with VI do both? Currently, some schools for the blind offer “super senior” years. Perhaps a better option would be expanding the length of high school to 5 years and allowing the youth to take a lighter course load each year, allowing more time for work experiences throughout high school.