Labour market integration of persons with disabilities

Entrepreneurship Among Persons with Disabilities

This project involves an environmental scan of Canadian and international peer reviewed and grey literature on entrepreneurship as an employment or income-generating option for people with disabilities. It also includes an analysis of relevant national and international policies and programs that are designed to support entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities, including their stated objectives, approaches, and – where possible – success outcomes. The review is, where possible, taking into consideration other intersecting factors (based on the GBA+ framework) that can affect people with disabilities in terms of their engagement and pursuit of entrepreneurship. The overall objective of this research is to provide ESDC with a better understanding of the issues, challenges, and opportunities that entrepreneurship offers people with disabilities to participate in the labour market.

Start-end date: February 2023 - July 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Mapping the Career Mobility of Persons with Disabilities in Canada

This project is examining the historical context, current status, challenges, trends, and emerging practices related to career mobility for persons with disabilities. The project involves a literature review as well as focus groups with persons with disabilities and interviews with other stakeholders, such as employment service providers, career practitioners, and employers. While the research is focusing specifically on the Canadian context, it is also highlighting international comparisons, where appropriate. It is also applying a Gender-based Analysis Plus (or intersectional) lens to the analysis. The objective of this research project is to fill a knowledge gap on the experiences of persons with disabilities with respect to career mobility in support of advancing the Employment Strategy and the objectives of the federal government’s new Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

Start-end date: December 2022 - July 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Barriers to training and employment for youth with disabilities: Research synthesis

This project is producing a research synthesis of findings from SRDC’s past and current research projects concerning skills gaps, learning needs, and systemic barriers to employment faced by youth with disabilities. Funded by Skills and Employment Branch (SEB) at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the project involves creating a database of relevant SRDC projects that involve primary data collection, secondary analysis, and literature reviews of academic literature that have been undertaken by SRDC researchers in the past decade. The analysis of this database will equip ESDC’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) with a better understanding of the existing evidence of the barriers faced by youth with disabilities in Canada.

Start-end date: July 2022 - October 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

EMC Skills Evolution

EMC Skills Evolution is a national, industry-driven initiative that will provide new insights for scaling up sectoral micro-credentials, through the identification, validation, prioritization, and building of occupational competency frameworks for the manufacturing and other sectors, providing a sharable roadmap for developing and deploying workforce capability growth through a competency-based micro-credential approach. Specifically, this project seeks to define and apply an industry-driven, multi-sector methodology to micro-credential development and adoption, enabling manufacturers and employers in other sectors to more rapidly upskill and reskill their workforce, as well as to more quickly onboard newly recruited workers and facilitate broader recognition of relevant skills and workforce mobility.

Start-end date: June 2022 - August 2023
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Supporting Apprentices with Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities affect at least 10% of the general population and there is increasing evidence this figure is much higher in the apprenticeship system. Unfortunately, a large percentage do not receive adequate supports to identify and address their learning challenges and end up leaving their careers, exacerbating existing labour shortages. A more structured, consistent approach to identifying and supporting pre-apprentices and apprentices with learning disabilities is needed for the construction industry and its training providers to effectively respond to these learning needs. The intention of this pilot is to identify, assess, and provide wrap-around supports as needed to union apprentices and selected pre-apprentices, offer training resources to training providers, and to test the effectiveness of this model in several jurisdictions across Canada. As the research and evaluation partner, SRDC will collaborate with SkillPlan, and partners in the unionized construction industry and their affiliated training providers, to develop and integrate this model and then assess its implementation and outcomes. The project will leverage learning from SkillPlan’s other federally funded projects — Star EPATT and UTIP Connecting the Dots — and help increase access for individuals with learning disabilities to participate and engage in training and employment opportunities.

Start-end date: February 2022 - October 2024
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Disability and the Workplace Research

CBDC Restigouche has engaged SRDC to assist with primary data collection with employers and persons with disabilities on issues related to inclusive employment. The project is seeking to learn directly from employers and persons with disabilities to identify best practices, challenges, and emerging trends on issues related to disability and the workplace in Canada, particularly as related to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). The primary research with employers is designed to capture the opportunities, needs, and challenges of SMEs related to recruiting, hiring, supporting, and retaining persons with disabilities. The survey of persons with disabilities aims to understand the challenges that persons with disabilities face in entering and succeeding in the workforce — with a special emphasis on small- to medium-sized business environments. The project is also documenting the challenges experienced by employers and persons with disabilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as identify trends and forecasts for adapting to a post-pandemic environment. Lastly, the research is examining how challenges faced by persons with disabilities interact with, and are compounded by, other social identities and life situations.

Start-end date: January 2022 - June 2022
Sponsor: CBDC Restigouche

Skills for Success Implementation Guidance Development

The launch of Skills for Success in May 2021 leverages the core strength of the Essential Skills framework while tightening the alignment with modern labour market needs, with a greater focus on a range of socio-emotional skills. This project’s main objective is to produce a document outlining key principles and emerging practices to guide the implementation of Skills for Success, reflecting the Government of Canada’s commitment to create and update training programs, resources, and assessment materials, facilitate training participation of vulnerable groups, and build the capacity of stakeholders who serve these populations. Our approach will combine environmental scan and literature review with the involvement of an expert advisory panel representing training and sectoral organizations with nation-wide networks, to develop three broad kinds of content: i) identification of learning needs for underrepresented groups (e.g., Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities) and key sectors; ii) guiding principles for the design of tailored training and assessment tools to align with identified learner and sectoral needs; and iii) implementation examples and approaches from early adopters of Skills for Success. These will be synthesized into a final report to facilitate tool customization and program implementation aligned with the unique learning needs of groups underrepresented in the labour market, as well as the job performance needs of major sectors of the Canadian economy.

Start-end date: December 2021 - September 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Overcoming barriers to skills development and employment for equity-seeking groups: Research synthesis

Jobs are changing and so are the skills Canadians need to be successful in a modern economy. Acquisition of foundational and socio-emotional skills is critical for those who are currently under-employed and underrepresented in the workforce. However, equity-seeking groups – such as women, youth, Indigenous persons, newcomers, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQ2S+ – often face individual, organizational, and systemic barriers that prevent them from acquiring these skills and accessing good jobs. In addition, they may lack access to the experiences and supports that foster these skills, such as coaching from mentors and role models, professional networks, and positive early learning experiences; they may also experience differences between their values or customs and those desired by employers in the Canadian workplace. As the federal department mandated to promote a highly skilled and mobile labour force and an efficient and inclusive labour market, Employment and Social Development Canada aims to improve its capacity to better measure, monitor, and address gender disparity and promote access of underrepresented groups across its skills and training programs. SRDC has been engaged to consolidate and analyze available information on the skill gaps, learning needs, and systemic barriers faced by equity-seeking groups in accessing and benefiting from the skills training and employment supports offered by governments and organizations across the country. SRDC will analyze this information using a social-ecological and intersectional approach that recognizes the multiple personal and environmental factors that can influence outcomes in employment and training, and the ways an individual’s social identities can intersect and create exclusion and marginalization. The resulting research synthesis is expected to broaden ESDC’s understanding of the challenges to skills acquisition faced by underrepresented groups, and to inform future programming and research.

Start-end date: January 2021 - March 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Employment Accessibility Standards for Recruitment and Retention of People with Disabilities

This project is designed to advance research on accessibility standards to inform Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) as it works with stakeholders and persons with disabilities to create new accessibility regulations that will apply to sectors within its federal jurisdiction. SRDC’s project is focused on employment standards, which was the area most frequently cited in the consultations informing the development of the recently adopted Accessibility Canada Act as the most important for improving accessibility. The goal of the project is to provide information to be used in the development of workplace employment standards for people with disabilities, specifically focused on recruitment and retention practices, which will inform the identification, selection and implementation of compliance and enforcement measures under ASC’s new accessibility regulatory framework. The project involves partnerships with national disability-serving organizations, including Neil Squire Society, Magnet & The Discover Ability Network, and the Autism-Intellectual Disability National Resource and Exchange (AIDE), to engage 8 to 10 federally-regulated employers across Canada in the project’s research activities.

Start-end date: October 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Accessibility Standards Canada

CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation

CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation — This project is evaluating the role that six-month work experience opportunities in the social innovation, social finance, and social enterprise sectors can play in supporting youth who are either not in employment, education, or training (NEET). The project is being led by the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) in partnership with SRDC and the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). The project aims to recruit
100 Indigenous youth, new immigrants, young people living in poverty, those who identify as LGBTQ2S+, young people with disabilities, racialized youth, youth in rural/remote communities, and official language minority youth. SRDC is supporting the project design, coordinating tailored supports to participants, and leading the project’s evaluation activities. The evaluation is examining how the placement opportunities facilitate the transition of young people to secure employment in the labour market through the development of skills, workplace experience, professional networks, and tailored wraparound supports. It is also examining how hosting the youth placements will support the capacity and sustainability of innovative social purpose organizations across Canada to hire youth facing barriers from the communities they serve, connect to regional Social Innovation and Social Finance ecosystems, and leverage investments of the Investment Readiness Program and Social Finance Fund.

Start-end date: August 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet)

Increasing access to benefits for peoples with disabilities

The objective for this project is to develop an effective service, with the potential for sustainable scaling, that can support people with disabilities to access government benefits they are eligible for, but not receiving. Consistent with this aim, the project will seek to: document the benefit journeys of people with disabilities and generate and disseminate new insights into the strengths and weaknesses of benefit processes from their perspective; identify, document and share insights on the most effective and promising approaches for removing barriers and increasing access to income benefits for people with disabilities; and co-design, develop, pilot and evaluate a new Access to Benefits Service with and for people with disabilities in B.C. SRDC is providing an advisory role during the service design phase of the project, advising on user needs and development of the Benefits Screening Tool and developing the evaluation framework and plan in collaboration with Prosper Canada. SRDC is responsible for implementing the evaluation plan, using a developmental evaluation approach.

Start-end date: July 2020 - August 2023
Sponsor: Prosper Canada

Employment Supports for Youth with Barriers to Employment

BC’s health research funding agency – the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research – has commissioned SRDC to conduct a targeted evidence synthesis on best practices for employment supports – pre-employment and ongoing – for youth aged 14 to 29 with mental health and/or substance use issues. This includes an environmental scan and literature review to document and collate what is known about best and promising practices in the field and the overall landscape of current activity in Canada and three international jurisdictions. Phase 2 will consist of a knowledge synthesis and articulating implications for policy and service delivery in BC. Through a cross-Ministry Working Group on Children and Youth with Special Needs, this work will inform policy development and service delivery planning to better support youth and their families in BC.

Start-end date: May 2020 - January 2021
Sponsor: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

Literature Review on effective labour market programs and services to assist youth and social assistance recipients to integrate into the labour market

ESDC has commissioned SRDC to undertake literature reviews of labour market programs that have been shown to be effective for integrating youth and social assistance recipients into the labour market. The focus is on recent (last five years) activation programs in Canada and OECD countries.

Start-end date: November 2019 - July 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

BC Partners in Workforce Innovation – Increasing Employment Through Inclusive Workplaces

This two-year demonstration project is evaluating how enhanced employer supports and supported workplace experiences can enable BC employers to achieve their diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategies by establishing more inclusive workplaces, recruiting career-focused talent, and improving overall outcomes for people with disabilities. Through the position of an HR Specialist, the project is engaging employers in the Greater Vancouver region to secure work placements for a minimum of 100 people with disabilities/diverse abilities, with a goal of 75% of employed people with disabilities remaining employed with either the employer partner or elsewhere after six months. The project is building on a previous pilot that demonstrated the potential of this approach to meeting the needs of sectors facing workforce shortages through the further enhancement of recruitment and employer training strategies that can lead to the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce.

Start-end date: July 2019 - March 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Formative evaluation of HR Tech Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project

SRDC is undertaking a formative evaluation of HR Tech Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project, part of a Sector Labour Market Partnerships contribution agreement supported by B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. HR Tech Group will pilot four components: diversity and inclusion training, a B.C. technology sector online hub, a diversity and inclusion reporting mechanism, and a promotion and attraction campaign. The goal of the pilot projects is to improve diversity and inclusion in the province’s Technology sector workforce. The purpose of the projects is to increase the attraction, retention and advancement of women, Indigenous peoples, persons with diverse abilities, newcomers to Canada, and individuals who identify as LGBTQ/S2 and all under-represented groups in skilled occupations within the sector through the implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies to recruit, retain and support career development in these professions.

Start-end date: June 2019 - July 2021
Sponsor: HR Tech Group

Integrating Essential Skills Tools for Employment Counsellors

This project is being led by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society (AWES) and is building, testing, and refining a training program for employment counsellors to integrate Essential Skills (ES) tools into their practice and services. The ES framework that will be tested during the project will include how to incorporate ES assessments, occupational profiles, complexity levels, and job task terminology related to skills. The project will also reinforce practice by including mentoring and support services to ensure quality as practitioners begin to integrate the ES framework and tools (including all nine Essential Skills) in all their services. As the developmental evaluation partner on the project, SRDC’s research activities are supporting the development process to ensure that the training is practical, delivers results, and has high chances of replication and adoption in diverse sectors and with different populations across Canada.

Start-end date: April 2019 - February 2024
Sponsor: Alberta Workplace Essential Skills Society (AWES)

Feasibility Study for the Creation of a WISE Outcomes Database

This research study is assessing the feasibility of creating an outcomes database on work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in Canada. Through research and consultation with WISE stakeholders, the project will enable ESDC to be well-positioned to work with the WISE sector to develop a coherent outcomes database for Canadian WISEs.

Start-end date: February 2019 - March 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

An analysis of the Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program delivery: Building upon existing evidence

While most people who receive Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) benefits are not able to work due to the severe and prolonged nature of their disability, research indicates a small proportion could return to work with appropriate supports. The CPPD Vocational Rehabilitation program is designed to facilitate that process, with individualized, reasonable, and cost-effective supports. Since being regionalized in 1998, the CPPD-VR program has been assessed a number of times – most recently, SRDC analyzed the program’s business model, and outlined a number of concerns as well as recommendations to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. SRDC has been engaged to build on this 2013 analysis, this time focusing on describing existing practices in regional program operations. This analysis will help inform policy decisions about how CPPD can best support labour market inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Start-end date: November 2018 - April 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

TechAbility: Aligning Diverse Abilities to Technical Occupations

This project is developing and testing a technical occupational framework to support the recruitment of persons with disabilities in the technology sector of BC. The project is establishing the business case for hiring persons with disabilities into technical occupations and identifying the necessary supports to ensure successful outcomes for both employers and job seekers. The pilot is assessing the impact of the framework primarily through a series of job shadowing and mentorship opportunities that are designed to enhance skills and employment outcomes for research participants.

Start-end date: October 2018 - January 2020
Sponsor: Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC

EASIEST – Easier Access to Settlement, Integration, Employment and Skills Training

EASIEST is an innovative research and analysis project that places the newcomer experience at the centre of the design & delivery of settlement services. The overall goal of EASIEST is to help Immigrant Serving Organizations in BC deliver the most appropriate package of settlement services to newcomers at the right time and for the right duration to improve their settlement and integration outcomes. SRDC will use a Behavioural Insights (BI) approach to understand how and why newcomers access services. These insights will then be used to identify, design, and test behavioural strategies to improve services and address gaps. To do this project BI will be combined with a user-centric approach to explore services from the perspectives of newcomers so that innovations deliver services to newcomers that are easier to access, relevant, timely, and socially and culturally appropriate. A four-phase approach of discovery, diagnosis, design, and delivery will be used to bring about improvements in services and outcomes for newcomers, especially vulnerable groups. Findings will be used to support continuous improvement and disseminated widely to contribute to the goal of helping newcomers settle successfully in Canada.

Start-end date: July 2018 - March 2021
Sponsor: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Long-term Case Studies of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) in British Columbia

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE) is conducting a five-year demonstration project to evaluate the role of WISEs in supporting the labour market transitions of populations facing barriers to developing their career potential. The project is partnering with a minimum three WISEs in locations outside of Vancouver and Victoria to provide transitional employment opportunities for different groups of vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities, immigrants, and Indigenous people. The pilot involves a series of case studies to provide a better understanding of WISE capacity to serve barriered job seekers as well as the employment outcomes of participants who receive placements with the project's WISE partners. By combining research that examines both WISE capacity development and participant long-term employment outcomes, this study is designed to offer unique insights into the needs of WISEs who serve job seekers facing significant barriers to employment, as well as the benefits that accrue to participants whom they employ.

Start-end date: June 2017 - May 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Developing Provincial/Territorial Capacity for Innovation in Employment and Training Services

Following a Fall 2016 Best Practices session convened for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM), SRDC is meeting with provincial and territorial labour market officials to share knowledge about labour market programming. The meetings, which include presentations highlighting innovation in the design and delivery of programs, aim to identify opportunities to promote innovation through learning exchange and collaboration among jurisdictions.

Start-end date: April 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Employer tools for workplace mental health

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has been leading efforts to establish a mentally healthy workplace culture in Canada, starting with the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. There are many resources to help employers implement the Standard and support workplace mental health more generally, but these may be difficult to locate and use. MHCC is leading an initiative to develop a free, online, bilingual electronic tool to bring these resources together and make them easy for employers to use. SRDC has been engaged to conduct a curated inventory of relevant resources, advise on current gaps, and to provide recommendations on how to address these.

Start-end date: January 2017 - March 2017
Sponsor: Mental Health Commission of Canada

Feasibility Study of the Ontario Community Employment Loan Program

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence received a grant from the Vancouver Foundation to conduct a feasibility study of the Ontario Community Employment Loan Program (CELP). In 2006, Social Capital Partners introduced CELP, a social finance instrument, aimed at facilitating access to subordinated debt financing to the private sector – small business owners and franchisees – who agree to hire individuals with disadvantages in the labour market. The program was designed to achieve twin objectives: 1) borrowers received beneficial financing terms and free services from CELP to find pre-screened job candidates; and 2) job seekers supported by community agencies had opportunities for real employment. The Centre conducted the study in collaboration with Vancity Community Foundation and MSDSI Accessibility Secretariat to gain a better understanding of CELP that is currently underway in Ontario to support a discussion among the study partners to establish its potential for implementation in BC.

Start-end date: September 2016 - January 2017
Sponsor: Vancouver Foundation

Forum of Labour Market Ministers' Senior Officials – Best Practices Session

SRDC was responsible for organizing a half-day session to share innovative approaches, lessons learned, and research and evaluation on labour market programs and service delivery strategies. It featured presentations from a number of jurisdictions on recent projects and initiatives to identify best practices, improve program effectiveness, and foster innovation. SRDC staff presented on three SRDC projects in this area, teaming up with provincial Senior Officials who provided context on how the projects respond to their respective program and policy objectives. SRDC was also responsible for producing an Event Report summarizing the discussion.

Start-end date: September 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Labour Market Transfer Agreements summary report

Employment and skills training programming and services in Canada are supported and delivered by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The federal government provides almost $3 billion annually to provinces and territories through four major bilateral transfer agreements to support training and employment programming for Canadians. The design and delivery of the programs and services funded under these agreements are the responsibility of provinces and territories. This includes programs and services for unemployed workers eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), individuals without recent or sustained labour market attachment (non-EI insured), low-skilled workers, employers, persons with disabilities, and older workers. The 2016 Federal Budget announced new investments for 2016-17 totaling an additional $175 million. This is the first step in a plan to boost support for skills and training through the transfer agreements. To further ensure that these agreements continue to be relevant, flexible, and responsive to new and emerging labour market needs and priorities, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments have collaboratively embarked on a process in the summer 2016 to gather stakeholder input on these important investments. SRDC summarizes the outcomes of the consultations related to the labour market agreements renewal in this report.

Start-end date: August 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

Personal income information for disabilities assistance recipients

This project develops a state-of-the-art income calculator website for British Columbians receiving disability assistance (PWDs) and trains employment services centre case managers in its use. The site is designed to improve access to accurate income information for PWDs, including (a) income estimations for specific job opportunities and (b) a personal account where they can keep track of their earning exemption totals and see the effect that earnings have on their Disability Assistance payments. Case managers introduce their PWD clients to the tool and help them to enter the required information. The project aims to improve clients’ understanding of the effect that earnings and moving in and out of work will have on their Disability Assistance Benefits and overall income. It should raise their confidence in the financial consequences of their employment decisions and reduce financial apprehension when moving into employment. The project is designed as an experimental demonstration to quantify the impact of implementation of the Income Calculator on PWDs’ financial security, their willingness and motivation to seek employment opportunities, and improvements in their medium-to long-term employment outcomes.

Start-end date: February 2016 - January 2019
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

HR Policies and Best Practices Toolkit for Restaurants

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE) with its partner, MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners, developed an HR Policies and Best Practices Toolkit for Restaurants Canada's 30,000+ members. The toolkit produced supports the objectives of Restaurants Canada to provide its member restaurants with tools on how to recruit and retain employees, particularly those from underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities, aboriginals, new immigrants, and youth. The ultimate aim of this project is to produce an accessible and practical set of tools and resources to enable small- and medium-sized restaurants to achieve the workforce benefits of being more inclusive employers.

Start-end date: November 2015 - March 2016
Sponsor: Restaurants Canada

Identifying leading disability-confident companies in Vancouver

The project aims to develop a list of leading companies that have implemented inclusive practices and made their workplaces welcoming to persons with disabilities. The list will be shared with service providers in the employment services sector in BC, with a view to increase labour market access for persons with disabilities.

Start-end date: November 2015 - May 2016
Sponsor: Vancouver Foundation

The Employment Navigator Pilot Project

The project involves new cross-systems partnerships working collectively to improve employment opportunities for individuals in supportive housing. The proposed model is a new and untried approach that pairs two distinct evidence-based approaches in housing and employment — Housing First and Customized Employment. The approaches place an "employment navigator" in the supportive housing location to link housing with Customized Employment and other employment services for tenants who are in stable and permanent housing. This is consistent with an underlying principle behind Housing First, which is that people are better able to move forward once housing is stable. The project will operate in two residences in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. The evaluation strategy involves both implementation research and case studies. The BC Centre for Employment Excellence is partnering with the Lookout Emergency Aid Society and the Open Door Group to develop and implement this project.

Start-end date: October 2015 - September 2018
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Women Gaining Ground Research Study

SRDC was engaged by the United Way of Greater Toronto to inform the further development of their Career Navigator program to better meet the needs of young women facing multiple barriers to employment, by gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and service/support needs of this group. The study includes a systematic literature and evidence review, and interviews and focus groups to identify and understand: the main barriers (environmental/external and personal) that young women facing multiple barriers are experiencing while transitioning into the labour market; evidence-informed and promising approaches for serving young women with multiple barriers; how the current Career Navigator program is addressing barriers and where there might be gaps; and how adjustments to program design/delivery can be implemented in a way that works for both jobseekers and employers.

Start-end date: September 2015 - January 2016
Sponsor: United Way of Greater Toronto

Incremental cost of living as a result of being a person with a disability in Ontario

SRDC conducted empirical research to estimate the incremental cost of living as a result of being a person with disability, relative to the cost of living experienced by non-disabled adults, for Ontario. This data analysis is based on a literature review of research (particularly in methodology development) on measuring the additional needs for people with disabilities; analysis of applicability of identified models to the Ontario context; and investigation of internal/external data available to estimate incremental cost of living for disabled people in Ontario. The final product is a report that (a) reviews the most commonly adopted methodologies in evaluating the additional direct costs incurred by people with a disability, including pros and cons of each method, (b) evaluates the robustness or applicability of each method using Canadian data, and (c) evaluates the potential additional cost of living for people with a spectrum of disabilities living in Ontario using the best currently available data.

Start-end date: June 2015 - December 2015
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

BC Partners in Work Innovation Pilot Project

This project has dual labour market objectives of supporting the workforce needs of BC businesses and improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The pilot is applying a business “demand-based” approach, using a recruitment model to work directly with BC employers in specific industry sectors with high employment demand to match them with qualified candidates. The recruitment activities are performed by a Recruitment Specialist, who works on behalf of employers to interface with partnering employment agencies to recruit suitable candidates. This project is designed to provide important insights into establishing innovative partnerships between employers and disability serving agencies to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities. This project is conducted by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence and its partners, including: Community Living BC, Open Door Group, Neil Squire Society, Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (representing the BC Employment Network), Flaherty and Associates, MacLeod Silver HR Business Partners, London Drugs, CREW Management (Century Plaza Hotel & Absolute Spa Group), Seaspan, Edgewater Casino, and the Canucks Autism Network (CAN).

Start-end date: March 2015 - March 2018
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

The Face-to-Face Project: Bringing Youth with Disabilities and Employers Together

The Face-to-Face Project: Bringing Youth with Disabilities and Employers Together aims to find creative solutions that improve labour market integration for youths with disabilities. The project is an initiative of the BC Centre for Employment Excellence with financial support from the Vancouver Foundation’s Disability Supports for Employment Fund. Youths with disabilities (ages 18-25 years old) who have little to no work experience are matched with local employers of various sizes and sectors to engage in mock interviews and networking scenarios. Following this first connection, the employers refer the youth to a second employer. In addition to recruiting the youth and employers, the Centre provides resource materials and orientation for participating employers and youths. The project wrapped up in spring 2015 with a mini-forum and an evaluation that captures lessons learned and effective practices. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: November 2014 - April 2015
Sponsor: Vancouver Foundation

Review of Manitoba Employment Assistance Service Providers

SRDC conducted an evidence-based analysis of Manitoba’s Employment Assistance Service (EAS) providers to inform future funding decisions of the Manitoba government intended to promote an effective and efficient service delivery network. SRDC’s analysis provides indications of where changes in EAS programming are needed so that the program can “do more of the things that help, and less of the things that do not.” The analysis addresses five key questions: To what extent is EAS programming aligned with provincial and federal policy objectives? To what extent is current programming responsive to the needs of key population groups and communities? To what extent are programs responsive to the changing dynamics of Manitoba’s labour market? How effective is current programming in achieving results for job seekers, employers, and communities? What is the relative value for money of the existing EAS program, and are there opportunities for service improvements?

Start-end date: April 2014 - September 2015
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Episodic and Moderate Disabilities and Employment

This project identifies key characteristics of populations with episodic and moderate disabilities, and the nature of their respective attachments to the labour market. A literature review and environmental scan identify policies and practices that are supportive to the labour market participation of those with episodic disabilities, as well as barriers to work. Prevalence rates and indicators of labour market attachment are calculated based on the 2013 Canadian Survey on Disability, while trends in the receipt of income assistance among those with occasional work limitations are based on the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics.

Start-end date: January 2014 - August 2014
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

Manitoba Works! evaluation

The purpose of the research is to test the Government of Manitoba’s Manitoba Works! employment service model in the real-world setting of Manitoba’s new and evolving employment continuum and to assess its effectiveness for improving the labour market success of individuals who are receiving EIA and/or have complex needs. The research will assess gains on outcomes of interest among participants compared to non-participants, model cost-effectiveness, model implementation, and identify key success factors.

Start date: November 2013
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Mapping Experiences with Inclusive Employment

A pilot project delivered in partnership with researchers at UBC to evaluate the use of an online mapping tool to document positive experiences with inclusive employment for 30-35 people with developmental disabilities (self-advocates) across BC. The project is designed to collect first-hand knowledge from self-advocates, their families, employers and service providers regarding the factors that contribute to positive, inclusive employment for individuals with developmental disabilities. It informs the BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE), its partners and other stakeholders about best practices in providing supports and creating inclusive workplaces for individuals with developmental disabilities. Based on the success of the pilot, the CfEE and its partners continue to host the map and explore options for extending this approach to other populations of job seekers facing significant barriers in the labour market. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: November 2013 - September 2015
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (with financial support from Community Living British Columbia)

CPP Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Business Case Analysis

This project provides an analysis and critique of the VR program and its business components, including its overall cost effectiveness, human resources model, regional delivery process, client participation, outcomes, and other relevant issues. It provides recommendations for re-design to support program and departmental objectives, i.e., for providing modernized, focused, and efficient services to people with disabilities to support their return to work.

Start-end date: October 2012 - March 2013
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Mental Illness as a Disability over the Life Course in Canada

This project examines mental illness experiences over the life course, among the full spectrum of Canadians from very young children through senior adults. It uses secondary data from the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) data set and from the 2009 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of mental illness as a disability among each age group.

Start-end date: November 2011 - March 2012
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Employees’ Perspectives on Intermittent Work Capacity: What Can Qualitative Research Tell Us in Ontario?

The purpose of this project was to better understand the experiences and needs of people with disabilities in Ontario who are able to work intermittently (i.e., not full-time). Focus groups, interviews, and personal stories were used to identify the conditions and supports that make it possible for people with disabilities to stay attached to the labour force.

Start-end date: July 2010 - March 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

City of Vancouver Four Pillars Supported Employment Pilot Project

A project designed to provide long-term unemployed individuals with past addictions with a supported and gradual return to employment. The evaluation involves case studies of four participants and their experience with the program from start to end.

Start-end date: May 2007 - December 2007
Sponsor: City of Vancouver, Social Planning Department, Jobs Policy

Increasing Access to the Labour Market for Persons with Disabilities Who Experience Episodic Periods of Wellness and Illness: Options for Research Demonstration Projects

Start-end date: November 2006 - March 2007
Sponsor: Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation

Proposal to Develop a Personal Supports Model for People with Disabilities and Evaluate the Impacts on Community and Labour Market Participation

Start-end date: June 2006 - December 2006
Sponsor: BC Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance

Disability Supports Feasibility Study

A 16-participant pilot project in Ottawa and Vancouver to test the feasibility of providing wider “consumer control” over the acquisition of disability supports that facilitate employment.

Start-end date: December 2001 - June 2003
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada

Coordination of a Consultation Process to Develop Options to Increase the Proportion of Canadians with Disabilities in Sustained Employment

Start-end date: March 2001 - March 2001
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada (Applied Research)