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Project Updates: March 2023


 

What have we been up to?

We have reached a new project milestone! We finished analyzing our survey data, and are beginning to identify how to apply learnings to the strategy. We are putting the final touches on our Youth Survey Report, and will be publishing it later this month. See a sneak peek of our findings in the Learning Spotlight section.


The Youth Advisory Committee had their first meeting in March. We have 13 members on the committee, each bringing a unique perspective to the work. In May, these members will review and share input on our Guiding Principles Checklist.

Our team is well underway on phase 1 of our Environmental Scan Report. This report is a review of what the existing information says about the gaps, barriers, and best practices in the current landscape of support. It will complement our survey and focus groups findings.

 

Learning spotlight: Youth Survey Report

Findings from our youth survey highlight four themes related to youths’ experiences accessing employment programs:

  1. There is no clear and direct pathway to employment support for most youth with disabilities in BC.

  2. Certain demographics of youths with disabilities (LGBTQIA2S+ and racialized/POC) are more under-served than others in the current employment support landscape.

  3. Transportation, scheduling needs, and personal capacity challenges pose barriers for many youths with disabilities who are looking to access employment support.

  4. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the employment support landscape in ways that some youth found helpful, and others found challenging.

Respondents who had accessed employment programs identified the following supports as missing:

  • Support to learn and practice life skills (e.g., budgeting, etc.)

  • Support to learn how to manage mental health (e.g., emotional regulation while on the job, maintaining work-life balance, etc.)

Respondents also shared how difficult it is to navigate the job search and application process. They reported challenges in finding an employer who will accommodate their disability at this stage. They shared how there are no obvious indicators that employers are inclusive and open to accommodating their needs. There was a general distrust of diversity statements on job postings.


Lastly, respondents identified on-the-job barriers that impacted their employment experience. These were the most significant:

  • Lack of workplace accommodations

  • Negative assumptions about their ability (from employers and coworkers)

  • Feeling unappreciated by their employer/coworkers and not being included in the workplace culture

We can't wait to share the rest of our findings with you! The full Youth Survey Report will be released later this month. We will send out a notice as soon as it is available. In meantime, you can read our other reports on our Publications + Reports page.

 

We're hiring!

We are looking for a Community Network Engagement Coordinator to join our team. This position will initiate and coordinate all Community Network Engagement efforts (user-testing, working groups, external reviews) to advance the Provincial Employment Strategy for Youth with Disabilities initiative. This position requires a high level of organization, interpersonal and communication skills, and strong technical knowledge of community engagement strategies. There will also be a lot of collaboration with the team, so teamwork skills are essential!


Apply by Monday, April 10, 2023, at 11:59pm Email your cover letter and resume to Sarah Molder at youthstratlead@uvic.ca.


For the full position description and salary information, please see Indeed.com.

 

What's next?

  • Both the Caregiver and Service Provider Survey Reports will be published shortly.

  • We are beginning to work on a Life and Career Development Model for Youth with Disabilities.

  • We are gearing up to begin user-testing of the Guiding Principles Checklist.

 

Want to stay up-to-date on all our project information? Join our email list and get monthly project updates straight to your inbox. Email youthstratcontent@uvic.ca to be added to our email list!

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