career development- barriers and strategies for young ... · the early career years: barriers and...
TRANSCRIPT
CareerAdvancement:BarriersandStrategiesforYoungAdultswithTBI
andOtherDisabilitiesLaurieGutmannKahn,PhD
MoravianCollege
InthisWebinar:• LookattheresearchonyoungadultswithTBI&otherdisabilitiesduringtheearlycareeryears(18-26yearsold)– Outcomes– Barriers
• Discussstrategiesandrecommendationsforcareeradvancementforyoungadultswithdisabilitiesduringtheearlycareeryears.
• Exploretoolsforplanning!• QuestionandAnswer
WhyShouldWeFocusontheEarlyCareerYearsforYoungAdultswithDisabilities?
• Opportunitiesforemployment,training,andeducationduringthistimeisheavilycorrelatedwithadultincomeandoccupationalachievement.
• Withoutplanningandsupports,trackingintolowpayingorunsatisfyingjobs– Lackofopportunitiesforadvancement– Lackofmotivationforadvancement
• GainfulemploymenthasapositiveinfluenceontheoutcomesandoveralllifesatisfactionforindividualsexperiencingaTBI.
WhyShouldWeFocusontheEarlyCareerYearsforYoungAdultswithDisabilities?
YoungadultswithdisabilitiesincludingTBIintheirearlycareeryearsaremorelikelytobe:– Unemployed– Underemployed– Livingbelowthepovertyline
31%
18%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
IndividualswithaDisability
Invidualswithoutadisability
Percentageofindividualsbetween18-34yearsoldearningwagesthatplacedthembelowthefederalpovertyline.(U.S.CensusBureau,2010)
WhatWeKnow:WhatCausesTheseOutcomes?WhataretheBarrierstoCareerAdvancement?
• Lackofcareerexperiencesandlimitedaspirations
• Earlypatternsofemployment
• Lackofaccesstoongoingtrainingandhighereducation
• Discriminationandprejudiceintheworkplace
Barrier:LimitedEarlyCareerExperiences
• Limitedknowledge/awarenesspotentialjobopportunities&careerpaths
• Lackofexposuretoworkexperiences
• JobShadowing• Mentorships• CooperativeEducation• School-BasedBusinesses
HigherAnnualIncomeStableEmploymentFullTimeWork
• WorkBasedInternshipsHigherHourlyWagesLikelihoodsofBenefits
Barrier:LimitedAspirations• Lackofself-confidence– Lessconfidenceandoptimism
• Restrictedaspirations– Influencedbypeergroups,parental&teacherexpectations,academicskills,andrealitiesofthelabormarket.
– Occupationalaspirationsareapredictoroflateraspirationsandfuturecareerchoices.
DQ:Doyouseeanoveralllackinoveralllackofselfconfidencewhendiscussingvocationalgoals?Howdoyouworkwithyourstudentstoincreasetheirconfidence?
Barrier:EarlyPatternsofEmployment
• The“firstjob”settingthestageforlifelongearning– Importanceofenteringtheworkforcedirectlyaftercompletingschool
–Manyyoungadultswithdisabilitiesarenotimmediatelyemployedorenterunskilledpositions
• Difficultymaintainingstableemploymentovertime.– Stayinginajoblongenoughtoadvance• Growingresponsibilities• Increasedwages
– Adjusttoworkdemands• Occupationalskills• Abilitytoadapttobarriersandchanges
Barrier:LackofAccesstoOngoingTraining
Intheworkplace,youngadultswithdisabilitiesmayhavelimited:
Opportunitiesfor
challengingjob
assignments
Accesstoonthejobtrainingoptions
Accesstoexperiencedmentors
Barrier:LackofAccesstoHigherEducationForyoungadultswithTBIandotherdisabilities,postsecondary
educationandtrainingisassociatedwith:
Higherwages
Higherratesof
competitiveemployment
Greaternumbersof
hoursworked
Lessoccupationalrestrictions
however
Barrier:DiscriminationandPrejudiceintheWorkplace
43%ofadultswithdisabilitieshaveencounteredjobdiscrimination(NationalOrganizationonDisability,2010)
Employermisconceptions,misinformation,andstereotypedbeliefscancreateinvisiblebarrierstoemployment:•Impacthiringanddischarge•Limitopportunitiesfortrainingandpromotion•Failuretoprovidereasonableaccommodations•Intimidationandharassment
CharacteristicsandSkillsAssociatedwith PositiveTrajectoriesfor Employeeswith Disabilities
– Problemsolving– Goalsetting– Timemanagement– Prioritization– Effectiverelationshipswithpeers– Effectiverelationshipswithsupervisors– Adaptabilitytonew/changingworkenvironment– Awareofowndisabilities– Copingandself-advocacyskills– Abilitytopersistindifficultsituations– Maintainasenseofpersonalcontrol– Clearself-concept(awarenessofstrengthsandskills)
DQ:HowdoyouworkwithpeoplewithTBItoteachandaccommodatetheseskills?Howdoyouworkwithyourstudentstolearnmoreabouttheirdisability?
EffectiveAccommodationsforEmployeeswithTBI
• Questionstoask:– Whatfunctionallimitationsintheyoungadultexperiencing?
– Howdothesefunctionallimitationsaffecttheirjobperformance?
– Whataccommodationsareavailable?– WhathasworkedfortheindividualwithTBIinthepast?Aretheyinvolvedintheprocess?
– Howdoyouassessiftheaccommodationsareeffective?
– Doesemployerand/orotherpersonnelrequiretrainingonTBI?
WhataccommodationscanyouusetosupportstudentswithTBIinthedevelopmentofthesecharacteristics?
• PhysicalAccommodations– Simplifiedenvironments(removing
unnecessarymaterials)– Ramps,elevators,etc.
• OrganizationalAccommodations– List-making– Color-coding– Timers– Additionalreminders– Technology&Apps
• ProblemSolvingAccommodations– Havevisualrepresentationsofproblemsolving
techniquesvisible(diagrams)– Havedirectresourceforwhenindividualhas
questions• EmotionalAccommodations
– Praiseandreinforcement– Provideawarenesstrainingforco-workers– Explicitstressmanagementplanwithvisual
cues
• SensoryAccommodations– Largeprintedmaterials– Changeflorescentlightstowhitlight/natural
light– Glareguardsfortechnology– Whitenoisemachinesornoise-cancelling
headphones• MemoryAccommodations
– Recordingmeetings/trainings– Providewrittenmaterialsfor
meetings/trainings– WrittenInstructionsnexttoequipment
• EnduranceAccommodations– Flexiblescheduling/breaks– Increasedtrainingfornewtasks– Self-pacedworkload
• ConcentrationAccommodations– Dividinglargeassignmentsintomanageable
tasks– Reducingdistractions
Strategy:AwarenessofIndividualCharacteristicsandSkillsandHowto
DevelopThem– Strengths-basedexplorationandplanning– Accuratecareerassessments– Individualorgroupinstructiontoteachcareeradaptabilityskills(problemsolving,self-advocacy,andcommunicationskills).
– AccommodationAdvocacyandExploration
Strategy:BroadenCareerExploration• Informationgathering• Jobshadowing• Visitingjobsites• Exploringonlinelabormarketsurveys
CAPTCareer
AdvancementPlanningTool
ECAMEnvironmental
CareerAdvancement
Measure
Strategies:DevelopWorkOpportunities
• Developworkopportunitieswithaccesstofurtherpostsecondaryeducationortrainingandskilldevelopment.
• Encouragehighschoolwork-basedinstructionandcommunityworkexperience
• Considerjob-personfit(challengingandpersonallyrewarding)
• Encouragelearningskillsonthejobwithsupervisionfromanexperiencedco-worker
• Utilizefinancialincentives
Strategy:ObtainingPostSecondary
Education&Training
• Lookbeyondserviceindustryforopportunitieswithoccupationaltraining/coursework.
• Provideinitialinformationaboutarangeofpostsecondaryprograms.• Ensurestudentshavecompleteinformationaboutprogram
requirements.• Provideassistancewithcompletingapplications&financialaid
paperwork.• Connectstudentswithdisabilityresources.• Encouragepositivecommunicationandself-advocacyskills
Strategy:GrowingontheJob• Teachproblemsolvingskills• Rolemodelsandmentors• Peersupportgroups• Externalsupportsystems• Workplaceaccommodations–Modifyingapplicationprocedures– Adaptingfeaturesoftheworkplaceortasks
– Shiftingworkplacerules• Assistivetechnology
Strategy:ChangingtheWorkplace• Partnerwithemployerstomakethecaseforhiringpeoplewithdisabilities
• Workingwithhumanresourcespersonnelto– Assessaccessibilitystandards– Developabudgetforaccommodations
– Promoterecruitmentefforts– Supportemployeementoringprograms
• Conductemployertrainingtoincreasedisabilityawarenessandaddressdiscrimination
CAPTCareerAdvancementPlanningTool
• Focus:Foryoungadults• ForwardPlanning• BackwardPlanning
• Purpose:• Todevelopanunderstandingoftheprocessofcareerdevelopmentaswellastogatherinformationontheneedsofcareeradvancement.
ECAM:EnvironmentalCareerAdvancementMeasure
• Focus:Forprofessionalssupportingyoungadultswithdisabilities• Purpose:• Toassessthecareeradvancementopportunitiesinvariousemploymentenvironments.
QuestionsorComments?
Thankyou!
PresentationadaptedfromLindstrom,L.,Kahn,L.,&Lindsey,H.(2013).Navigatingtheearlycareeryears:Barriersandstrategiesforyoungadultswithdisabilities.JournalofVocationalRehabilitation,39,1,1-12.
LaurieKahn,PhD [email protected]