work's 4 me evaluation 2014

Work’s 4 Me Evaluation 2014 – Scan of the Literature

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Transition to training and employment program for people with

disabilities in the City of Melton, Victoria

Dr Megan Wong Dr Shanti Wong

Work’s 4 Me Evaluation

2014

Scan of the Literature


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Acknowledgements This Scan of the Literature was prepared by Dr Shanti Wong and Dr Megan Wong, Starfish Consultancy. This evaluation was funded by the Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board under the Capacity and Innovation Fund 2012. Citing this report: Please cite this Scan of the Literature as: Wong, S., & Wong, M., 2014, Work’s 4 Me Evaluation 2014 – Scan of the Literature, YouthNow, Sunshine, Victoria. This Work’s 4 Me Evaluation2014 -‐ Scan of the Literature, accompanies the Work’s 4 Me Evaluation 2014.


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Table of Contents 1. Young people with disabilities: the need to aid transitions to further study and meaningful employment .............................................................................................................. 4

1.1 DEFINING DISABILITY IN AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT ........................................................................................... 4 1.2 ENGAGEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE LABOUR FORCE: SOME OF THE BENEFITS ............... 4 1.3 AUSTRALIANS WITH A DISABILITY: STATISTICS FOR ENGAGEMENT IN THE LABOUR MARKET .................... 5 1.4 YOUNG AUSTRALIANS WITH A DISABILITY: DISENGAGEMENT FROM EDUCATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION ............................................................................................................................ 6

2 Disengagement of young people with disabilities in education and employment: potential contributing factors .................................................................................................... 7

2.1 DISABILITY AND WAGE DISCRIMINATION ...................................................................................................... 7 2.2 THE IMPACT OF LOW-‐PAY ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) PARTICIPATION .............. 7 2.3 PROGRAM INEFFECTIVENESS ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.4 DISABILITY TYPE: EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES ............................................................... 7 2.5 MULTIPLE FACTORS ....................................................................................................................................... 8 2.6 INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS AND THOSE BORN OVERSEAS ........................................................................... 8 2.7 DISCLOSURE TO ACCESS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT ........................................................................................... 8 2.8 APPROPRIATE TRAINING OF STAFF ................................................................................................................ 8 2.9 LINKS BETWEEN TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT ............................................................................................ 9 2.10 PERCEPTIONS OF EMPLOYERS ..................................................................................................................... 9 2.11 FRAGMENTED RESEARCH AND ACCESSIBILITY OF REPORTING OF DISABILITY PROGRAMS ....................... 9 2.12 AVAILABILITY OF ACCESSIBLE, INFORMED CAREERS ADVICE ...................................................................... 9

3 Young people with disabilities: enablers/best practice for re-‐engagement in education or employment ......................................................................................................... 11

3.1 MOVEMENT AWAY FROM SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT .............................................................................. 11 3.2 ‘WORK-‐FIRST’ OR ‘TRAIN-‐FIRST’ SERVICES AND ‘SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT’ MODELS ....................... 11 3.3 ONE STOP SHOP AND STREAMLINING FRAGMENTED SYSTEMS ................................................................ 13 3.4 FLEXIBLY ADJUSTED SERVICES ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.5 MAINSTREAMED AND SPECIALIZED SERVICES ............................................................................................ 15 3.6 PROFILING SERVICE USERS .......................................................................................................................... 15 3.7 MEASURING OUTCOMES/EVALUATING PROGRAMS ................................................................................. 15 3.8 A TARGETED APPROACH ............................................................................................................................. 17 3.9 EARLY INTERVENTION ................................................................................................................................. 17 3.10 FACILITATION OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS .............................................................................. 17

4 Examples of best practice: engaging people with a disability in education or employment ................................................................................................................................... 18

4.1 DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 “FIVE STAR RATED” DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS ...................................................... 19 4.3 NON JOB-‐PLACEMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS ............................................................................................... 23

5 “Work’s for Me”: transition to training and employment program for young people with disabilities .............................................................................................................. 24

5.1 “WORK’S FOR ME” PROJECT OVERVIEW AND AIMS ................................................................................ 24 5.2“WORK’S 4 ME”: BEST PRACTICE STRATEGIES FOR PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT OF YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES ........................................................................................................................................................ 24

6 References ................................................................................................................................... 27


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Note: In this Scan of the Literature, Section 3, Young people with disabilities: Enablers/best practice for re-‐engagement in education or employment, and Section 5.2, Work’s 4 Me Best Practice Strategies for participation and engagement of youth with disabilities, have been integrated with the Work’s 4 Me Evaluation 2014 Desk Top Analysis of the project documents and its Key Findings, to determine how Work’s 4 Me has fared in relation to best practice.

1.Young people with disabilities: The need to aid transitions to further study and meaningful employment

1.1 Defining disability in Australian context • Australia is a signatory to the United Nation Convention on the Rights of

People with Disabilities (Department of Public Information, United Nations, 2006) and has an obligation to uphold the principles, articles and purpose of this agreement (National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2011a). The Convention states that:“Persons with disabilities include those who have long-‐term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”

• Defined in the National Council of Intellectual Disability fact sheet series (National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2011b) intellectual disability is characterised by “significant limitations in intellectual functioning, adaptive behaviour expressed in conceptual, social and practical skills and originates before the age of 18”. Intellectual disability is assessed though a combination of intelligence quotient (IQ) as well as diagnosis of limitation in adaptive behaviour (conceptual, practical and social skills which influence a person’s ability to function interdependently, meet social responsibilities and expectations that are age appropriate)

• In the Organisation for Economic Co-‐operation and Development’s (OECD) Synthesis of Finding on Disability and Work, 2010, ~ 13 % of people are identified as having some form of disability in Australia(Organisation for Economic Co-‐operation and Development, OECD, 2010).

• “A person with intellectual disability is able to learn. With appropriate support and training within a culture which values the inclusion and contribution of each individual, people with intellectual disability can develop the skills and confidence to enable them to actively participate as equal members of the community.” (National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2011b)

1.2 Engagement of people with disabilities in the labour force: Some of the benefits

• In their 2013 report on the National Disability Agreement to the Council of Australian Governments, COAG states: “It is a positive outcome for people receiving income support to report earnings— indicating greater economic and social participation, and greater ability to meet the day-‐to-‐day costs associated with living with disability.” (National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2011b)


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• Those with an intellectual disability in open employment experience significantly greater quality of life than those who are unemployed (Eggleton et al. 1999)

• In many cases the benefit that the employee can bring to business far outweighs the cost. The Australian Government’s discussion paper on a National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy asserts that ‘there are many myths about increased risks and costs of employing people with disability and/or mental illness’. (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations 2008, Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)

• Movement of people with disability into employment is of great financial benefit to government(Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008):

o Increased spending on disability support is increasing and potentially unsustainable (OECD 2007, Guenther 2008)

o The cost of under-‐engagement of people with a disability is in excess of $54 billion per annum (ACE National Network, 2008)

1.3 Australians with a disability: Statistics for engagement in the labour market Despite the capability and positive outcomes of those with a disability participating in the workforce:

• For data of people not in the labour force in 2010, disability and long term health problems accounted for the largest percentage of stated reasons that men in Australia between 25 and 64 are not participating in the workforce (35 %) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012)

• In 2009, 18 % of 15 – 24 year olds cited long term health or disability as the reason that they were not in the labour force and these numbers were roughly the same for both males and females (Robinson et al., 2011)

• Of those with a disability receiving income support in 2012, 16.3 % of Newstart or Youth Allowance recipients with disabilities receiving earnings (up 14 % from 2009). However, 8.6 % of those on disability support pensions receiving earnings (down 9.3 % from 2009) (COAG Report Council, 2013)

• For those with intellectual disabilities (National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2013b):

o The number of intellectually disabled adults currently employed in Australia’s open labor market is just 15%

o Dependence on the pension is typical. Less than 3% of people with intellectual disability earn a wage as their main source of income (i.e. >$282 per week)

o Many do not participate in the open workforce:14,971 participate in Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs, formerly sheltered workshops) and earn a median weekly wage of $70.50; less than 1% of participants move to Employment Support Services (ESS) each year and 27,039 participate in State non-‐work day programs and are not in the labour force


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1.4 Young Australians with a disability: Disengagement from education and implications for labour force participation

Young Australians most at risk of marginalisation from the workforce are those who are not in study or full-‐time work and who lack an initial qualification. This is especially so for youth with a disability. The percentage of young adults (20 – 24 year olds) without initial qualifications, or in study or work in 2009 was 22.1 % for those with disability ranging from profound to mild(Robinson et al., 2011)

• Learning disabilities and/or disability are identified as a background factor contributing to early school leaving and disengagement of young learners The (Davies, et al., 2011; Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted), 2010).

• People with disabilities tend to take lower levels of completion of vocational and educational training. On average, lower than Certificate III is attained. Completion rates are lower than those not reporting a disability(Cavalaro et al., 2005)

• Among 20 to 24 year-‐olds more than one third (35.6 %) who had a disability ranging in severity from profound to mild had not completed Year 12 or Certificate III. This compares with 16.2 % of young adults not reporting a disability (Robinson et al., 2011)

• People with a disability also participate in apprenticeships and traineeships at lower rates compared with the general vocational education and training (VET) population (1.3% versus 5.3% in 2003) (Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)


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2Disengagement of young people with disabilities in education and employment: Potential contributing factors

2.1 Disability and wage discrimination • On May 10, 2013, the High Court refused an application by the Australian

Commonwealth to appeal a decision by the Full Federal Court in December 2012 that the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) was unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act.

• The Court decided that the Business Service Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) is unlawful and designed to produce poor wage outcomes.

(National Council on Intellectual Disability, 2013b)

2.2 The impact of low-‐pay on vocational education and training (VET) participation • In research conducted between 2008 and 2010, low-‐paid workers in Australia

indicate that lack of fee support and the prospect of costs and forgone income prevent many from VET participation.

• Some have to draw on credit cards, superannuation or extended family to meet fees and costs.

• Rates of return on qualifications are often small or non-‐existent, especially in small firms with flat employment structures. Low-‐paid workers are often undertaking training to retain their job rather than career progression or further pay.

(Pocock et al., 2011)

2.3 Program ineffectiveness • Despite the “inordinate amount of dollars in the billions on programs and

services to address the need for employment” the employment participation rates of people with disabilities did not change between 2003 and 2009. The NCID states that this “highlights that improvements in the performance of service providers is required to break the story of unemployment and poverty” (National Council on Intellectual disability, 2013e).

• In a report on the National Disability Agreement, there were some markers of lower and decreasing economic participation by people with disability and their carers, despite improvements in the proportion of people with disability using specialist services (COAG Report Council,2013)

2.4 Disability type: Employment and educational outcomes • A statistical analysis by the National Centre for Vocational and Education

Research (NCVER) in collaboration with Australian Disability Advisory Training Council (ADTAC) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) found that employment outcomes vary with disability type:

o Of students graduating with qualifications, those with hearing or visual disability have the highest employment outcomes whilst those with physical, chronic or other type of disability have the lowest(Cavalaro et al., 2005)

o Students with hearing and vision impairment have the highest probability of passing subjects


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o Pass rates of those with intellectual or learning disabilities is well below the average for all VET students with a disability

o Those with physical or medical disabilities had an average pass rate and those with mental illness or acquired brain impairments just below average (Cavalaro et al., 2005)

2.5 Multiple factors • “Poor educational outcomes for people with a disability are compounded by

other factors such as previous educational attainment, having more than one disability, or identifying with additional equity groups” (See references within Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)

2.6Indigenous Australians and those born overseas • Inequalities of lower and decreasing economic participation are more

pronounced for Indigenous Australians with disabilities and those born overseas

• Of people with a disability on support pensions in 2012, Indigenous Australians with disability have lower rates of reporting earnings on both types of income support (Disability Support Pensions, Newstart/Youth Allowance). For people born overseas rates of reporting earnings are also lower among those receiving the Disability Support Pension

• 3.5% (or 1539 of 44 464) who received the Disability Support Pension also reported earnings. This compares with 8.6% of the total population. (COAG Report Council, 2013)

2.7 Disclosure to access additional support • Accessing additional support assists students in completing their VET studies

however access to these supports requires disclosure of disability. Responding to needs of students is difficult when mental illnesses are not disclosed.

• Research into those with mental illness reports that disclosure can sometimes lead to battles against stigma, ignorance or discrimination. These negative experiences lead to students not willing to disclose this information again.

• To account for behavior or access services, students sometimes claimed a physical disability (sometimes falsely).

(Bathurst and Grove, 2000; Griffin &Nechvoglod, 2008; Miller and Nguyen, 2008)

2.8 Appropriate training of staff • The professional development needs of staff involved with students with

disabilities are not always met. • Research in the TAFE sector highlights that some teachers have to access

information on an as-‐needs basis. How easy this information is to access and implement is not clear (McKenna, 2004)

• TAFE teaching staff have also reported not knowing how to deal with certain situations, as well as being confused about professional boundaries and needing to offer students counselling support (Miller & Nguyen, 2008)


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2.9 Links between training and employment • The role of VET in the welfare-‐to-‐work pathway has been investigated

recently (see references within Griffin 2008). Theses studies found that: o Short-‐term prevocational courses alone are not likely to lead to

sustainable employment (for those with or without disability) and that the may be more useful as stepping stones into traditional VET courses

o These studies also highlight the need for information flow between service providers such as Centrelink, training organisations and health workers

o Better employment outcomes have been seen for students enrolled in an apprenticeship or traineeship, probably reflecting the relationship with immediate employment embedded in these programs. However participation is lower for those with a disability compared to those without

2.10 Perceptions of employers • Employers may be reluctant to take on workers with a disability due to the

perceived costs of taking on such workers (Moskos 2007). • Employers may also demonstrate a lack of awareness about the skills and

abilities of people with a disability (Clark, 2007) • These factors may poise additional barriers to people with disabilities in

obtaining employment (Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)

2.11 Fragmented research and accessibility of reporting of disability programs • In a review of VET and disability, Griffin & Nechvoglod (2008)

found the research on the topic of VET and disability to be fragmented, concentrating either at the macro level (ignoring diversity between those with disabilities) or the micro level (e.g. considering one type of disability).

• Griffin & Nechvoglod, (2008) provide highlight a large number of unanswered questions around disability and VET participation. They state that “The focus now should not only be on what is researched but also on the way the research is conducted.”One suggested research approach is “a research program, consisting of a number of research projects, could be specifically designed to provide answers to a set of closely interrelated issues rather than providing just one small piece of a puzzle”

• Importantly, reporting of best practice findings needs to be disseminated and easily accessible, so that best practice can be implemented and incorporated into mainstream practice and policy(Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)

2.12 Availability of accessible, informed careers advice • Research suggests that during periods of transition (for example when

leaving school, moving from welfare to work, after rehabilitation, moving to a new job after acquiring a disability) that individuals have difficulty accessing user friendly information about VET options and that career guidance can be poor in assisting informed choices.


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• It is also possible that limited part-‐time work experience whilst at school may not have the same career knowledge as those without disabilities

• Industry groups, advisory bodies and employees can also be unaware of funding and resources available to employ those with disabilities

• Students’ understanding of career pathways is shaped by parents, teachers and careers advisors. Therefore, pre-‐conceived ideas amongst these groups about the career choices for those with a disability may be limiting

(Clarke, 2007; Barnett 2004; Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)


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3Young people with disabilities: Enablers/best practice for re-‐engagement in education or employment

3.1 Movement away from sheltered employment • The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights has called that nations move

away from sheltered employment schemes and promote equal access for persons with disabilities in the open labour market.

• The National Council on Intellectual Disability has called the Federal

Government of Australia to develop a national employment strategy that upholds the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities, moving away from the pretense that Australian Disability Enterprises provide inclusion, meaningful employment and fair wages. It states that:

o “People with intellectual disability can work in the open labour

market when given the right support. This is consistent with the research, demonstration, and international rights.” (National Council on Intellectual disability, 2013d).

o “All people with intellectual disability should have access to support to get a job in the open labour market to enjoy inclusion, meaningful employment and fair wages” and

o “All people with intellectual disability deserve the protection of the Supported Wage System” (National Council on Intellectual disability, 2013b)

o In countries where sheltered workplaces are in operation, there has been a move toward bringing regulations closer to the labour market and an emphasis on workers’ professional development and skills acquired whilst in sheltered employment (Organisation for Economic Co-‐operation and Development (OECD), 2010).

3.2 ‘Work-‐First’ or ‘Train-‐First’ services and ‘Supported Employment’ models • Generally, programs focused on entry into the workplace result in better

employment outcomes than those focused on education on training. • Supports to regular employment fare better than training programs and

vocational rehabilitation. Theses supports can include wage subsidies, job coaching, workplace adaption and personal assistance.

• Employment outcomes for workplace training fare better than general education programs. This is true for unemployed people in general and those with a disability.


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However, there is ‘no one-‐model-‐fits-‐all’ for work first versus train-‐first approaches. The principal of tailoring services to the clients’ needs is required:

• Job-‐ready clients will benefit most from employment-‐orientated services • In contrast, those needing training and rehabilitation will benefit from

vocational rehabilitation and other educational measures. Even so, a stronger focus on trial work may have beneficial outcomes

• The preferred approaches will also be dictated, in part, by the state of the economic cycle.

Supported employment models:

• The aim of supported employment models is to place people in work first and follow up with ongoing on-‐the-‐job support. On-‐the-‐job support is provided by a job coach to ensure suitable placement.

• Supported employment models are highly effective in striking a balance between the size and targeting of schemes.

• This approach was also first introduced in the United States, followed by Nordic countries including Austria and the Netherlands followed by Switzerland and Japan. The United States program (revised in 1992) included ongoing (at least twice monthly) support with site-‐based training and job coaching.

(Organisation for Economic Co-‐operation and Development (OECD), 2010).

Employment supports and equity: How Work’s 4 Me fares in this regard The Work’s 4 Me Partnership Group worked collaboratively to deliver a transition to work program for young people with disabilities in the City of Melton. This encompassed both pre-accredited work skills training and on-the-job training through work placement with YouthNow BizE Centre or industry partners. The Work’s 4 Me Partnership achieved its objectives of sustainable and worthwhile employment or training opportunities for clients. Three of the current seven clients have been exited and referred to a Disability Employment Service and four have been extended in the Wesley Program transition course until 30 June 2014. The surveys and interviews with staff, clients and parents suggest that a solid foundation has been laid that will achieve concrete outcomes for more young people in Melton over time. In 2013 these foundations included the stabilisation of the Work’s 4 Me Partnership Group, staff and course location. In 2014 the program will focus on delivering accredited and well-resourced certificates that further increase clients’ competitiveness in the jobs market, diversifying and engaging business and industry partners, and developing a marketing strategy and vision for broadening the client group. The YouthNow BizE Centre has been an important partner in providing employment supports.


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3.3 One stop shop and streamlining fragmented systems • “Greater co-‐ordination and co-‐operation between different institutions is one

way of simplifying current complex and fragmented systems. Too many different benefits, administered by different entities, and too many different types of employment services, offered by different providers and institutions, also make for a very complicated and non-‐ transparent starting position.”

• “The one-‐stop-‐shop principle in labour market policy provides for access to labour market programmes as well as social benefits, where needed, through provision of joint services, even where the various programmes and benefits are operated by different agencies that maintain legal and financial autonomy from one another.”


3.4 Flexibly adjusted services Services should:

• Be adapted to the needs of the client all along the process • Be designed and delivered to encourage clients to move into regular labour

market whenever possible • Maintain a close relationship with caseworkers throughout, referring clients

to services needed throughout and to help them adapt to labour market • All negative incentives that should hamper such progress should be removed

Streamlining supports: How Work’s 4 Me fares in this regard The partner organisations of Work’s 4 Me are working collaboratively to successfully deliver a pre-accredited training course to people with disabilities. The partnership is building sustainability through the relationships with and access to local government and other government departments’ programs and services, as well as the formation of a Melton Worker for People with Disabilities Network.A focused Work’s 4 Me Partnership Group took some time to develop across the early part of 2013. Despite this initial complex challenge, meeting documentation and consultations for the evaluation of the initiative show that the Work’s 4 Me Partnership has been particularly effective in building a community partnership and is undertaking many consultations with appropriate organisations and in diverse settings to broaden its reach. The Social Inclusion and Lifelong Learning Working Party (SILL) of the City of Melton’s Community Learning Board has provided oversight of the Work’s 4 Me Partnership. This oversight has provided expertise in guiding the partnership through its developmental stages as well as ensuring sustainability through providing strong links to Melton Council Plans. Written agreements, ongoing monitoring and partnership analysis are also strengthening the Work’s 4 Me Partnership. The importance of ongoing professional development in effective partnerships, including clarification around operational and strategic roles, is acknowledged.


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Supported employment or individual placement and support as a flexibly adjusted service:

• One of the main features of these models is that services should be maintained on an ongoing basis during transition to sustainable work. These services may involve health, employment, social or financial services based on the individual’s needs. These models can be used for placing people in competitive jobs on the open labour market

o The effectiveness of supported employment or individual placement and support have been shown in randomized trials around the OECD

o However, these approaches are resource and staff intensive and therefore targeted toward small numbers of people with more severe health problems


Flexibly adjusted services: How Work’s 4 Me fares in this regard The Work’s 4 Me Partnership links workers of people with disabilities to a supportive network where client needs are identified and joint action is carried out. The Partnership is a working party of the higher-level Social Inclusion and Lifelong Learning Party (SILL) therefore the program is strongly linked to services, providers and local government including the Department of Human Services. Interviews with clients and parents highlighted that, once the program and staff had settled in the second half of 2013, Work’s 4 Me mentors formed a supportive relationship with clients. One client states: ‘At Melton I learnt a lot and my teacher always supported me, they never gave up on me.’ The Work’s 4 Me Partnership removed the negative impact of having to travel outside the Local Government area of Melton through providing a locally accessible program. Supported travel beyond Melton was gradually introduced when clients accessed the YouthNow BizE Centre program in the neighbouring local government area of Brimbank. Two of the nine clients resigned from the program in 2013 for personal family reasons. The support of clients once they leave the program is of vital importance and enhancement of the referral process between partners should remain a focus in 2014. This will help ensure no client falls through the cracks at any referral or transition point. The partnership analysis undertaken by the Work’s 4 Me Partnership in 2013, the formation of a Melton Worker for People with Disabilities Network and the intended signing of a Partnership Agreement in 2014 show intent and progress in this regard.


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3.5 Mainstreamed and specialized services • It is now policy in most OECD countries to give people with disability access to

generic employment programmes/labour market services • This reflects a change in mind-‐set and policy orientation to seeing a person’s

ability rather than the disability • Client groups should be represented sufficiently in various programs, and

specialized services are still likely to be needed (Organisation for Economic Co-‐operation and Development (OECD), 2010).

3.6 Profiling service users • “Employment and rehabilitation services need to profile their clients in line

with the results of assessments”. • “The profile should be sufficiently individualised and effectively bring together

all the relevant information for each client, based on medical files, the employment history, and any services hitherto provided”.


3.7 Measuring outcomes/evaluating programs • As well as course participation and completion outcomes, evaluations should

consider the important impact that program participation can have on the individual learner’s quality of life. These include non-‐monetary measures such as increased morale, self-‐esteem and confidence, greater job satisfaction, greater participation and a willingness to continue study or undertake work-‐related training(Davies et al., 2011)

Inclusion into mainstream services: How Work’s 4 Me fares in this regard A core element of the Work’s 4 Me Partnership was to integrate young people with disabilities into courses with people without disabilities. This objective is yet to be realised but is still a high priority. The Work’s 4 Me Partnership recognises the value of inclusion into mainstream services for clients. For example on the movement of the Wesley Mission employment training program to Victoria University, the Work’s 4 Me Program Leader notes that ‘Being able to say they do a course at VU is a boost to the self-esteem of the trainees.’ The four trainees from Work’s 4 Me who have been placed at the BizE Centre for on-the-job training have been Futures for Young Adults (FFYA) clients. The YouthNow Executive Officer and Board Chair have flagged that the BizE Centre would operate more effectively with a mixed client group. They have also noted that YouthNow has access to funds or can assist with sourcing funding to support trainees who face barriers to employment who do not have disabilities. An important step in this process will be developing and implementing strategies with key partners to broaden the client group of the Wesley Program and BizE Centre to include young people who do not necessarily have disabilities but who are disadvantaged.


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• Understanding what students had hoped to achieve (and any difficulties

encountered) will help to further understand the needs of people with a disability in VET. Standardized exit interviews would be useful here (Cavalaro et al., 2005)

• In a review into VET and disability Griffin & Nechvoglod (2008) highlighted

the need for case studies illustrating good practice to be disseminated and easily accessible so that lessons learned can be implemented elsewhere, incorporated into mainstream practice and findings can improve policy and practice

• Whilst acknowledging the advantages of outcome-‐based schemes, it needs

to be remembered that measuring employment outcomes, especially longer-‐term outcomes including employment and earnings, is more difficult and complicated than measuring outputs


Measurement and evaluation of the program: How Work’s 4 Me fares in this regard The Work’s 4 Me Partnership Group incorporated rigorous evaluation and self-‐assessment into the delivery of a local transition course for young people with disabilities in Melton. An evaluation framework was developed and implemented including a scan of best practice in the literature, analysis of key documents, interviews with partnership leaders, Executives and Chairpersons, video interviews with partners and trainees and paper-‐based exit surveys of trainees and parents. In addition to measuring course participation and completion outcomes, surveys and interviews considered the non-‐monetary benefits of the program to participants including enjoyment, participation, sense of purpose and increased self-‐confidence. The presentation of the assessment as a final report provides a case study of good practice that can be disseminated and easily accessible so that lessons learned can be implemented elsewhere. The Work’s 4 Me Partnership Group is currently utilizing the Evaluation Framework to reflect upon best practices and is documenting the steps required to produce integrated plans to ensure that the outcomes are on track to be realised. The Work’s 4 Me Partnership has also engaged in self assessment, using the VicHealth Partnership Analysis Tool as a guide, to ensure that the partnership develops into a strong collaboration with clarified roles and purpose.


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3.8 A targeted approach Data collected and analysed at both the aggregated and disaggregated (by disability type) suggests that different strategies are required for different disability groups (Cavalaro et al., 2005):

• As vision and hearing disability students tend to complete Australian Qualifications Certificate (AQF) III or higher, then programs could be targeted “giving them skills and knowledge to be independent workers and/or have AQF qualifications that enable them to work under supervision”

• For those with learning, intellectual or multiple disabilities, there seems to need to be a focus on completing programs

• For those with other types of disabilities, both greater assistance whilst at VET and achieving employment outcomes from VET may be needed

3.9 Early intervention • Given the significantly lower levels of prior education achievement of those

with a disability in VET compared to those without a disability, there is evidence to suggest that pathways need to be developed before people with a disability leave school(Cavalaro et al., 2005; references within Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008).

3.10 Facilitation of relationships with employers • Most success stories of effective transition to work programs in the literature

involve good relationships between employment agencies, training organisations and employers

• Partnerships are not usually driven by the employers themselves. Employers are usually ‘recruited’ by another party as part of a program (Griffin & Nechvoglod, 2008)


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4 Examples of best practice: Engaging people with a disability in education or employment

4.1 Disability Employment Services, The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

(Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2013) (“Disability Employment Australia,” 2013)

• Disability Employment Services (DES) commenced on 1 March 2010, replacing the previous Disability Employment Network and Vocational Rehabilitation Services. It supports the Australian Government to deliver high quality employment to people with a disability in Australia.

• There are two programs within the DES. These are Disability Management

Services assisting those with a disabilily/injury/health problem not expected to need long-‐term support in the workplace, and Employmet Support Services for those requiring more long-‐term, regular support.

• Disability Employment Services support the delivery of best practice services

by their providers and recognise the rights of people living with a disability to participate in the open labour market.

• There are hundreds of disability service provider members of the Disability

Employment Services/The Disability Support Network employment network across Australia. These members are specialized in:

• Assisting people with disabilities to find employment in the open

labour marker for real wages alongside people without a disability • Disability Employment Services currently supports 140,000

Australians with disability prepare, secure and maintain employment each year.

• Workers are supported and the workplace prepared culturally and physically if required.

• On the job or off site support to assist new employees to settle into their jobs

• Training, information and awareness • Support for those whose job might be in jeopardy due to their illness • Long term contact is required to address any issues that may arise for

employers or employees. • Help employers to access financial supports and incentives


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4.2 “Five Star Rated” Disability Employment Service Providers Overview of Five Star Rating System

• The DES Performance Framework is designed to drive improvements in the delivery of quality service. It includes adherence to quality assessments, compliance, service guarantee, code of practice and charter of contract management.

• Each six months providers’ performances are assessed using a ‘five star

rating’ to help assess how providers are performing relative to eachother.

• The ratings are based on performance indicators of Efficiency and Effectiveness. A breakdown of these measures can be found at the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2013).

• The DEEWR then works with the provider to improve services and share best

practice. Current star ratings for all Australian States can be viewed at Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2013). High performance 5-‐Star service providers for disability employment and training All of the providers below provide combinations of best practices outlined in Section 3 for the employment and training of people with a disability (including young people). Jobsupport, Star rating of 4.75 in December 2012 at 12 sites across Australia

http://www.jobsupport.org.au/main/content/view/19/36/

Jobsupport has a notable track record for employment and training services to young jobseekers with a disability. “Jobsupport Transition provides a service for school leavers with an intellectual disability who need extra help before they attempt paid employment”.

Located in Sydney and Melbourne and surrounding suburbs, over 270 people have now completed Jobsupport Transition or Community Work Options program and are now in open employment. Over 70% of the people who have completed their transition program with Jobsupport have achieved open employment.

Job support provides people with work experience, assists young people overcome barriers to work, make informed choices and help young people identify the strategy, supports and environment which will best lead to success in employment. It provides:

• Real work settings are used rather than classrooms • Training towards agreed transition goals rather than a curriculum


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• The use of skilled and experienced staff • A strong link with an effective open employment service (Jobsupport) that

provides on-‐going support and training

Below are the providers in Victoria that received a 5 Star rating for the quarter ending June 2013. Western Districts Employment Access, 11 locations throughout Victoria Received a 5 star rating http://www.wdea.org.au/employment/program-‐overview

• Incorporates both Disability Employment Services and Job Services Australia therefore assisting a broad range of clients and a great diversity of personel for employers

• Supports clients to become independently employed • Offers high quality recruitment and employment support services

MAX Employment, 6 locations throughout Victoria received a 5 star rating

http://www.maxemployment.com.au/

• Assists people in returning to work, as well as those struggling to sustain their position during times of reduced capacity through the Government’s ‘Jobs in Jeopardy’ program

• Works closely with MAXimusSolutions Australia, offering health and training services through a range of health services consultants to improve eligible jobs seekers’ health and wellbeing for employment

MADEC, 6 locations throughout Victoria received a 5 star rating

http://www.madec.edu.au/disability-‐employment-‐services/

• MADEC is contracted by the Australian Government to provide Disability Employment Services (DES).

• MADEC is a ‘one stop shop’ for training and employment needs, up-‐skilling jobseekers and developing tailored plans with jobseekers to assist them in gaining a competitive edge in their job search activities


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Advanced Personnel Management, 5 locations throughout Victoria received a 5 star rating

http://www.apm.net.au/

• Advanced Personnel Management collaborates with large and small private and public sector organisations, assisting people with injuries, disabilities or illnesses to return to work. Offers innovative services and safety and rehabilitation solutions that enhance employee wellbeing

• Staff include qualified Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Employment Consultants with an extensive regional and rural reach

OSTARA Australia, 2 locations throughout Victoria received a 5 star rating

http://www.ostara.org.au/

• The largest provider of disability employment services for Australians with a mental health issue within the Disability Employment Services (DES) sector, working to assist, lobby and advocate for good employment and policy outcomes for those with a mental disability

• Work by a number of Disability Employment Standards and strive to “dispel the myth that people with a mental illness or disability are unemployable; aiming to create a more inclusive Australia”.

• Offers programs which tackle barriers to employment including confidence, self-‐esteem, marketable skills and life issues that may be co-‐factors in the unemployment cycle. A ‘Towards Employment’ program is offered to jobseekers facing significant barriers to employment to develop higher self-‐efficacy and problem-‐solving abilities.

Campbell Page, 3 locations across Victoria received a 5 star rating

http://www.campbellpage.com.au/data/home.php

• Also offers services to school leavers and those whose jobs are in jeopardy. Services include ‘employment café’ with access to local jobs and employees, job coaching including help with new skills and links to industry and employers, help to beat what is holding job seekers back.

• Occupational assessors assess the interventions required to gain sustainable, meaningful employment. A job coach provides comprehensive knowledge of the local labour market and education/training options available. An industry placement mentor assists with marketing, negotiating conditions through incentives available to employers, aiding transition to work and if needed post-‐placement support


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Bendigo Access Employment Inc., Castlemaine

http://www.accessemployment.com.au/

• Services assist job seekers and employers to maximise the support and assistance available from government funded initiatives to keep people in employment with appropriate supports.

• Some of the services include: Job matching, on-‐the-‐job training, promoting productivity to industry standards an backup and support after employees are engaged.

Each Employment, Clayton

http://www.each.com.au/employment-‐services/

Established a service to prepare clients managing a mental health condition for independent ongoing employment. This “was one of the first of its kind in Australia and proved that people with a mental illness who want to work, could work”. Services include:

• Assist with access to services such as mental health services, physiotherapists, community support services, Drug and alcohol services etc.

• Develop with clients their resume and application Letters, training development, presentation guidance and funding for work tools.

• Provide vocational councelling and information on job and education information in job shortage areas including information on traineeships and apprenticeships.


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4.3 Non job-‐placement service providers Australian Network on Disability

http://www.and.org.au/pages/about.html

• A not-‐for-‐profit organization advancing the inclusion of people with a disability in all aspects of business. It is not an employment agency but there to work with their member organisations to “be more confident and prepared to welcome people with a disability into their organisaion” either as employees, customers or suppliers. It produces a range of publications to assist businesses. Programs include:

o “Stepping into...” paid internship program for university students with disability offered by members for disciplines including law, accounting, marketing/communications, human resources, policy, finance, auditing/assurance and IT.

o Mentoring Program to give students and/or jobseekers a range of skills, experience and advice about the workforce, as well as providing mentors with a rewarding and developmental experience.


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5 “Work’s For Me”: Transition to training and employment program for young people with disabilities Melton City Council Community Learning Board (Shire of Melton, 2011 -‐ 2014)(Shire of Melton, 2013)

5.1 “Work’s for Me” Project overview and aims (Bergin, 2012) “Work’s for Me” is an initiative funded through the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board Capacity and Innovation fund, 2012. It is a local initiative aimed at improving transition to training and employment for people living with disabilities in Melton. The pilot program will be run over 12 months between 7 January 2013 and 31 December 2013 in the Shire of Melton, North West Metropolitan Victoria (Australia), with a small section of delivery in Brimbank. “Work’s for Me” clients are young people with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities. Governed by the Melton City Council through the Community Learning Board (Shire of Melton, 2013), the project will bring together the strengths of the Department of Human Services (DHS), ‘Learn Local’ (Adult Community and Further Education) ,Brimbank Melton Local Learning and Employment Network and Registered Training Organisation (RTO) programs. The need for the program was identified through the Social Inclusion and Lifelong Learning Working Party (SILL) of Melton’s community learning board. Identified was:

• A need to provide local support for young people with disabilities • That young people with disabilities in Melton have to travel outside the area

to access transition programs. Currently young people in Melton use the LGA to access DHS funded Technical and Further Education colleges (TAFE) programs in Footscray (~ 32 km distance). Parents express concern with their child with disabilities having to leave the local area and the drop-‐out rate is high

• There is limited access to career and pathway programs leading to the skills and knowledge required to obtain sustainable worthwhile employment

• Disconnection between organisations delivering disability support services including education and training, employment, health or other services

• The limited availability of work in Melton (83 % of Melton’s working population travel out of Melton to work)

5.2“Work’s 4 Me”: Best practice strategies for participation and engagement of youth with disabilities

“Work’s for Me” will employ a number of best practice strategies to achieve the aim of improving transition to training and employment for people living with disabilities in Melton. Below (Table 1) are the mapped Key Goals and Strategies of the project.


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The final column indicates how they might align with best practices highlighted in Section 3 of this review.


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TABLE 1. Key Goals and Strategies of ‘Work’s 4 Me’, in line with Best Practice Strategies Project Goal 1. Framework

Elements 2. Intended Measurement 3.

Best Practice Strategy

For local agencies and organisations to work collaboratively to ensure no person with disabilities living in Melton slips through the gap.

Transition support to and between other education, training providers, employment services or employment with structured training.

Heads of Agency Agreement signed. Plan and deliver minimum 2 needs based projects per year.

• One stop shop and streamlining fragmented systems

• Facilitation of relationships with employers

To link workers of people with disabilities to a supportive network where client needs are identified and joint action is carried out.

Supportive intervention for students with disability identified as potential early school leavers to prevent early leaving.

Minimum of 2 forums per year. Meeting agendas; email lists.


• Profiling service users • A targeted approach • Early intervention • Facilitation of relationships

with employers To provide a local transition course for young people with disabilities in Melton

Inclusive provision arrangements to engage people with disability in training and employment.

Daily data gathering of attendance and completion. Comparison with previous courses delivered in Footscray.

• ‘Work-‐First’ or ‘Train-‐First’ services and ‘Supported Employment’ models

• Flexibly adjusted services • Measuring

outcomes/evaluating programs

To have sustainable and worthwhile employment pathway outcomes for each course participant.

Transition support to and between other education, training providers, employment services or employment with structured training

Destination data collected. Destination tracking of participants at 6 weeks, 12, 26 & 52 weeks after course completion.

• ‘Work-‐First’ or ‘Train-‐First’ services and ‘Supported Employment’ models

• Measuring outcomes/evaluating programs

To develop and deliver a course which links DHS services, learn local courses and accredited training seamlessly into one locally accessible program.

Transition support to and between other education, training providers, employment services or employment with structured training

Destination data collected. Destination tracking of participants at 6 weeks, 12, 26 & 52 weeks after course completion.


• Flexibly adjusted services • Mainstreamed and

specialized services • Measuring

outcomes/evaluating programs

To integrate young people with disabilities into courses with people without disabilities.

Identification of, and provision of reintegration support from either school, training or employment.

• Mainstreamed and specialized services

1. ACFE Board Capacity & Innovation Fund 2012 –application for funding TOID 29505, page 4; 2. Work’s 4 Me Heads of Agency Agreement and Action Plan; 3. ACFE Board Capacity & Innovation Fund 2012 –application for funding TOID 29505, page 7


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