YWCA NextStep Mentorship Program – Mentorship Best Practices Toolkit

November 17th, 2017

The YWCA Metro Vancouver created the Mentorship Best Practices Toolkit based on the insights gained from operating the NextStep Mentorship Program, which operated from 2014 to 2017. In the toolkit, aspects of creating, sustaining and enhancing mentoring relationships and programs … Continue reading

Learning from the Best: Leveraging the Practices of Top Work Units in the BC Public Service

May 31st, 2017

The BC Public Service Agency sought to understand how to better foster employee engagement in the BC Public Service. Towards this end, the agency commissioned BC Stats to study and interview the most engaged public service work units to find out … Continue reading

Transition from CAMHS to Adult Mental Health Services (TRACK): A Study of Service Organization, Policies, Process and User and Carer Perspectives

May 26th, 2017

There is much concern about the transition of youth with mental health issues from child/adolescent to adult mental health services. This is complicated by their passage from childhood to adulthood which generates developmental needs beyond those that are illness-specific. Studies have … Continue reading

Sustaining people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment in employment: A systematic review of qualitative evidence

May 23rd, 2017

The World Health Organization estimates that 35.6 million people worldwide early onset dementia and of these, 10 per cent are under 65 years of age and potentially still in the workplace. In the face of an aging population and workforce, … Continue reading

Behavioral Interventions to Help Workers Keep their Jobs after an Injury or Illness

May 14th, 2017

For many individuals with health problems that threaten their ability to work, the decision to leave their jobs—either permanently or temporarily—is often made without fully understanding the short- and long-term effects of joblessness on their health and well-being. As a … Continue reading

Employment Outcomes for People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

May 12th, 2017

Though most people with psychiatric disabilities show a desire to work, they are more likely to experience negative labour market outcomes than those without these disabilities. Moreover, work is often critical to their recovery and functioning by increasing their self-esteem and … Continue reading

Work Based Learning for Youth at Risk: Getting Employers on Board

April 12th, 2017

One in six young people in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries is not in employment, education or training, and of these, two-thirds are not actively looking for work, thus raising both immediate and longer-term challenges for individuals … Continue reading

How Behavioral Insights Can Help Policymakers Improve Programs

April 12th, 2017

Employment programs often do not work as intended owing to behavioural responses of clients to different aspects of the programs. For example, some people do not participate in all available services offered by a program, or others drop out of … Continue reading

Perceptions of Employment Barriers and Solutions (for Newcomers)

March 30th, 2017

Working-age university-educated immigrants experience lower employment rates and earnings than their Canadian-born counterparts, and this gap is only continuing to widen. This report focuses on this gap, by summarizing a study conducted by Malatest that was commissioned under the now-defunct … Continue reading

Hiring and Retaining Aboriginal Apprentices: An Action Plan for Employers

March 30th, 2017

Hiring Indigenous apprentices today ensures a company will have a future workforce composed of skilled Indigenous workers and have strong business relationships with Indigenous communities. This guide by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum provides Canadian employers in the mining, oil and … Continue reading

Improving the School-to-Work Transitions of Youth in Canada: A Scoping Review

March 30th, 2017

Improving youth school-to-work (STW) transitions is an important, though challenging, way of reducing high unemployment, underemployment and precarious employment among youth. This report by Donnalee Bell, Krista Benes and Dave Redekop of Life-Role Development Group Ltd. identifies the causes of … Continue reading

Disability-Inclusive Recruitment and Hiring Practices and Policies: Who Has Them and What Difference Does it Really Make?

March 30th, 2017

The employment rate of individuals with a disability in the United States is less than half that of employees without disabilities. To help reduce that gap, this study by researchers at the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute … Continue reading

How & Why: Workforce Development Program Pre-assessment

February 22nd, 2017

Successful workforce development programs are built on a clear understanding of current and future community needs, which can best be obtained through pre-assessment. A community pre-assessment consists of collecting and analyzing data from funders, practitioners and potential beneficiaries to identify the needs … Continue reading

Providing Advice to Job Seekers at Low Cost: An Experimental Study on Online Advice

February 22nd, 2017

Job search assistance is a key component of employment supports offered to job seekers. However, little is known about how one might advise job seekers in the process and what advice should be delivered. This research study is focused on … Continue reading

Do Youth Employment Programs Improve Labour Market Outcomes? A Systematic Multi-National Review

February 22nd, 2017

The youth unemployment rate worldwide remains high at 13% compared to pre-recession levels, despite some improvement in the overall economy and the implementation of active labour market measures to connect youth to jobs. While previous studies have synthesized the evaluation … Continue reading

Changing Workforce: The Case for Diversity in Canada’s Trucking Industry

December 30th, 2016

Canada’s growing trucking sector is facing significant shortages in such key positions as drivers and mechanics, owing to turnover, ageing, and insufficient supply. To help meet the industry’s current and future labour needs, this report by Trucking HR Canada makes … Continue reading

Examining the Career Engagement of Canadian Career Development Practitioners

December 29th, 2016

This study examines career engagement of Canadian Career Development Practitioners (CDPs). Previous studies that have examined CDP engagement have focused on the practitioner’s work or relationship with an employer. This study by Deirdre Pickerell and Roberta Neault of Life Strategies Ltd. … Continue reading

Researching Complex and Multi-Level Workplace Factors Affecting Disability and Prolonged Sickness Absence

November 30th, 2016

Workplace disability arising from injury and illness on the job is costly for employers who are typically held responsible for affected employees’ return to work. Thus, employer discussion on workplace disability has focused on prevention of injury, illness and hazardous … Continue reading

Assessing the Evidence Base: Strategies That Support Employment for Low-Income Adults

November 30th, 2016

Over the past 25 years, there has been a plethora of research on public interventions intended to improve employment conditions for low-income adults. However, the sheer volume of the evidence generated has made it difficult to identify the most reliable … Continue reading

Escalator Jobs for Youth facing Barriers: Companies and Youth Moving up in the World

November 17th, 2016

This study focusses on the young people in in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) of Ontario. It examined an action plan called Escalator: Jobs for Youth Facing Barriers that was established through a partnership between Government of Ontario … Continue reading

Using Real-Time Labor Market Information to Achieve Better Labor Market Outcomes

October 7th, 2016

Post-secondary institutions are an important source of an economy’s skills and research has shown the important role education and skills development play in a nation’s prosperity. In the face of rapid technological innovation and concerns about its impact on graduate … Continue reading

Substance Abuse Case Management Best Practices

September 1st, 2016

Given that up to a half of individuals who receive treatment for substance abuse will relapse–most within a year, this post by Social Solutions Global, an American human services management software company, highlights three important research-based strategies to ensure effective … Continue reading

Inclusive Employment for Canadians with Disabilities: Toward a New Policy Framework and Agenda

August 31st, 2016

Canadians with disabilities continue to face relatively high rates of unemployment and underemployment despite past promises of equal opportunity for them. With a new federal government committed to policy and program innovation and inter-governmental collaboration towards a goal of inclusive … Continue reading

What Do We Know About Improving Employment Outcomes For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder?

May 31st, 2016

This paper from Carolyn Dudley, David B, Nicholas and Jennifer D. Zwicker of the University of Calgary illustrates factors that contribute to successful employment outcomes for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Adults with ASD have some of the lowest employment … Continue reading

Youth Unemployment And Active Labor Market Policies In Europe

May 4th, 2016

This paper from Marco Caliendo and Ricarda Schmidl of the University of Potsdam and the University of Mannheim reviews the effectiveness of active labor market programs (ALMPs) in supporting young job seekers in Europe. Due to high levels of youth … Continue reading

Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE)

December 8th, 2015

The IASE is a not-for-profit organization established in 1994 to promote supported employment in Ireland. The IASE promotes supported employment at a national level, to job seekers, employers, disability and other services, policy makers and the general public. The IASE … Continue reading

Employers’ Toolkit: Making Ontario Workplaces Accessible to People With Disabilities

November 25th, 2015

The Conference Board of Canada partnered with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario’s EnAbling Change program to develop a toolkit that is designed “to help employers tap into a vibrant and underutilized labour pool—people with disabilities.” It provides “practical advice to … Continue reading

Systematic review of mentorship programs to facilitate transition to post-secondary education and employment for youth and young adults with disabilities

November 18th, 2015

This study by Sally Lindsay, Laura R. Hartman and Melissa Fellin of the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the University of Toronto in the October 2015 issue of Disability and Rehabilitation provides a systemic review of the literature on … Continue reading

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Essential Skills Inventory Project Website (FIMESIP)

November 5th, 2015

This comprehensive inventory of essential skills initiatives aimed at First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples was developed through a collaboration between the Canadian Career Development Foundation, Employment and Social Development Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, the Assembly of … Continue reading

Employment of People with Developmental Disabilities in Canada: Six Key Elements for an Inclusive Labour Market

November 3rd, 2015

Prior research has well-documented the fact that the employment rate for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities continues to remain the lowest of all people with disabilities in Canada (Crawford, 2004, 2005, & 2011; Statistics Canada 2008), hovering in the … Continue reading

Beyond the Business Case: The Employer’s Role in tackling Youth Unemployment

November 2nd, 2015

This paper from the United Kingdom explores the benefits to employers from hiring youth and provides several concrete recommendations for employing young staff. While some businesses don’t see the business case for employing young people, the article points out a … Continue reading

Employers Guide to Partnering with Disability Employment Services

September 23rd, 2014

This is a simple guide book to assist Australian businesses to better understand and partner with disability employment services to recruit from the entire talent pool and make it easier for candidates with disabilities to get and keep jobs. Continue reading

Absence and Disability Management Practices for an Aging Workforce

September 23rd, 2014

This study is focused on how professionals providing absence and disability management services and their organizations are responding to the aging workforce. It outlines some of the leading practices and challenges the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) has observed for … Continue reading

Bridging the Gap: A Comparative Assessment of Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Practices with Transition-Age Youth

August 26th, 2014

This document uses a case study approach to explore the variety of approaches of services delivered to youth with disabilities during the transition time from school to work. This research study applies to career practitioners as it outlines several strategies … Continue reading

Unemployed and Underemployed Youth: A Challenge to Canada Achieving its Full Economic Potential

August 7th, 2014

This document on youth unemployment (and underemployment) coincides with a policy paper series sponsored by Canada2020. Career development practitioners will find it useful as it brings together existing evidence to better understand some of the  challenges facing young Canadians in … Continue reading

Business Benefits of Accessible Workplaces

August 7th, 2014

This briefing focuses on the benefits and returns that accrue when organizations invest in accessible employment practices. This article is aimed at helping businesses to be more accessible for people with disabilities. While it discusses many ideas from the Accessibility … Continue reading

Leveling the Playing Field: Attracting, Engaging, and Advancing People with Disabilities

August 7th, 2014

This report takes a comprehensive look at the business case for employing people with disabilities and details the steps companies can take to change their hiring practices to promote a more inclusive workforce. The report’s key objectives are to raise … Continue reading

Improving the Participation of Under-Utilized Talent of People with Disabilities in the Canadian Labour Market

August 7th, 2014

This research publication is about identifying policies, programs and employment programs to promote the inclusion of people with physical disabilities in the workforce. This publication is targeted at three audiences: vocational rehabilitation and employment service providers; employers; and business leaders … Continue reading

Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies

August 29th, 2013

Provides career practitioners with ten self-employment strategies, including 35 competencies that are crucial to successful self-employment, that would help them support their clients who are interested in self-employment and also explore self-employment as a career option for themselves. Continue reading

Working with the Community: Essential Skills Good Practices Guide

July 2nd, 2013

Designed for career practitioners working in employment organizations, colleges and other post-secondary institutions. Developed to provide support to immigrants, Aboriginals, and Francophones in essential skills development, the guide includes case studies and testimonials highlighting innovative and effective essential skills interventions in colleges and in the workplace. Continue reading

A Working Guide to Creating a Cross-Sectoral Workplace Essential Skills Training Program

May 10th, 2013

Developed to assist employment service providers in designing and implementing effective cross-sectoral workplace essential skills training programs for workers in the community. The guide documents promising essential skills training practice in Chilliwack, BC, and provides step-by-step instructions on essential skills training program development, from determining goals and objectives to sustaining the program. Continue reading

Supported Employment for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: Social and Economic Outcomes

May 9th, 2013

About the study This study examined social, economic, and employment outcomes of individuals with intellectual disabilities who have obtained employment through supported employment. Through a review of relevant literature, the study identifies the kinds of impact supported employment initiatives have … Continue reading

Focus on Food: Pathways to Youth Employment

March 5th, 2013

Provides career development professionals and youth organizations with FoodShare’s program development information for youth employment. This innovative internship program gives marginalized, at-risk youth in the community with an opportunity to develop employability skills and achieve their personal goals through learning, mentoring, workshops, and on-the-job training. Continue reading

Charting the Course: Mapping the Career Practitioner Role in Supporting People with Mental Health Challenges

February 21st, 2013

This project report was developed to identify the best approaches to supporting clients with mental health problems, and further enhance career practitioners in their professional practice. The report presented findings from key informant interviews, consultations, and surveys of career practitioners and their clients with mental health issues in Nova Scotia. Continue reading

Supported Employment Videos

January 22nd, 2013

Provides information on evidence-based supported employment programs implemented in the United States. Career practitioners and employers may want to utilize the videos to learn more about the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model that has been effective in helping people with disabilities find job placements. Continue reading

Customized Employment: Transition Planning and Self Determination Instruction

December 4th, 2012

Shows examples of successful customized employment for people with disabilities in the community. Through this video, career practitioners and employers can see how much impact the customized employment have on the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Continue reading