We spoke with Lynne Chin of Inclusion Cayman on the barrier to employment which persons with disabilities may face, and how Inclusion Cayman and their Rotary Employment Partnership is helping them, and employers, overcome these challenges to achieve and provide meaningful employment.
Q: What challenges do those with disabilities face when looking for employment?
A: Persons with disabilities in our community would like to have the same opportunities as anyone else in our community. This includes meaningful, gainful employment opportunities.
The typical pathway to gaining employment most persons take presents a multitude of barriers for individuals with disabilities, the largest often being an employer’s fear of the unknown.
Inclusion Cayman works to dismantle barriers to employment and create intentional pathways into the workforce for adults with disabilities by providing support to employers and job seekers. Inclusion Cayman helps job seekers identify their gifts and talents and helps identify roles within the business community based on an individual’s skillset. Support is provided every step of the way from job description, application, to on-the-job support and training for the employee, their colleagues, and employer, in order to ensure sustainable, meaningful employment is provided.
Q: How does Inclusion Cayman bridge the gap between candidates with disabilities, and employers?
A: Continuous consultation regarding the identification of a role, HR processes, and onboarding, is provided free of charge to employers seeking to employ adults with disabilities. On-the-job supports ensure a successful transition into the workplace, and remain in place, until the individual and workplace are equipped with the tools needed. Support is continuous and success of all is prioritised at all times. Disability awareness and sensitivity training is provided to ensure that workplace teams understand their role in supporting their colleagues with disabilities.
Q: Tell us more about the Rotary Employment Partnership: When was this started? What does this partnership entail and has it been successful thus far?
A: The Rotary Employment Partnership was founded in Inclusion Alberta in 2001. Inclusion Cayman partnered with Inclusion Alberta to bring this model into our community in August 2021, and since then we have developed seven jobs. The purpose of the Rotary Employment Partnership is to create intentional pathways into employment that truly change the lives of persons with disabilities, who may otherwise be left behind in our community.
We meet with individuals and families to identify interests, talents and strengths. We do this through visioning and exploration processes and create job seeker profiles. Individuals and their families are integral throughout the entire support process. Rotarians actively work to identify job leads in the community by using their personal and professional networks.
We meet with the organisations where these job leads have been identified and have an exploratory conversation surrounding inclusive employment. After exploratory conversations, organisations determine if they wish to move this initiative forward. The employment coordinator from Inclusion Cayman works with these organisations to identify job roles, support with job description development, support accessible interviewing and develop intake procedures as necessary. Inclusion Cayman works with the organisation to ensure that the identified job role is fulfilling a business need, in order to create sustainable long-term employment.
The employment coordinator supports the employee and employer in all areas pertinent to successful employment. This includes on-the-job supports which are faded when appropriate. All employment is paid for by the employer along with any applicable benefits. The arrangement should match what other employees are offered by the business within the same or similar positions.
We work with the employer’s managers, supervisors, and directors at the jobs site in developing the skills they need to support the employee. This is developed through the partnership with Inclusion Cayman and the presence of the employment coordinator on the job site. The length of time with an employment coordinator is not pre-determined and determined by the employee and the employer.
Q: Why should employers ensure they are offering employment opportunities to those with special educational needs and disabilities?
A: Employers in 2023 are looking to diversify their workforces as they recognise that everyone should be valued for their individual skillsets and the contributions that an individual can make to an organisation.
Many organisations have made commitments to inclusion, and we encourage everyone to consider if persons with disabilities are employed in their workplace. International research consistently demonstrates that businesses who hire persons with disabilities gain highly committed employees, have lower turnover rates of staff and have increased profits. Clients of businesses prefer to give their business to businesses who employ individuals with disabilities.
Overall, inclusive employment increases the bottom line. Most importantly, it is our ardent belief that everyone benefits and belongs.
W: INCLUSIONCAYMAN.KY/INCLUSIVE-EMPLOYMENT
E: [email protected]
T: 623-2957
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