The creation and implementation of an employment participation pathway model for youth with disabilities

Purpose Employment participation offers benefits including income, sense of accomplishment, social engagement, and meaningful contribution to society. Rates of competitive employment of youth with disabilities are amongst the lowest in society, despite having capacity and motivation to participate in the workplace. The marginalization of young workers with disability presents a lost opportunity for youth, potential employers, and social care systems. In order to engage young people with disabilities in employment, we present an integrated, community-based model for employment participation preparation. Materials and methods The employment participation pathway model is based on best available evidence and 15 years of program delivery for youth with disabilities preparing to transition out of school and into employment in the Canadian context. It was conceptualized using the Knowledge to Action framework and presented for consideration in the current paper. Results Starting early, taking a person-directed approach to planning, and considering the individual and our systems contribute to effective and comprehensive transition to employment. Conclusions The employment participation model provides evidence and examples for service providers to consider integrating into their repertoire and begin to construct similar pathways to equip their clients and families with skills, capacities, and knowledge as they journey towards workplace participation.