This document summarizes the work of the Irish Association for Supported Employment (IASE) in promoting supported employment opportunities for people with disabilities. It discusses National Supported Employment Week, Job Shadow Day, and the Open Door Project which engaged over 1,300 employers. Key outcomes included increased awareness among employers, new employer leads for supported employment services, and 31 job placements secured. It highlights the importance of consistency, quality systems, and collaboration to further progress supported employment in Ireland.

1. “ Improving Diversity through
Supported Employment ”

2. “Working creatively in
partnership to progress
employer engagement”
Dermot Cunningham (IASE)
Sarah Togher (IASE)
hosted by:
In association with:

3. • National Supported Employment Week
• Job Shadow Day
• Open Door Project

5. • Irish National voluntary organisation
• Promote Supported Employment
• Promote Best Practice
• Equal employment opportunities
• Influence policy makers
Who are the IASE?

6. • Employer Events
• Webinars
• Media Campaign
National Supported Employment Week

7. Media Campaign
• Supported by IrishJobs.ie Irelands No 1 online
recruitment company
Campaign coverage
• TV
• Radio – national, regional, community
• Print
• Online
• Social Media

8. Job Shadow is national project bringing
supported employment agencies, people
with disabilities and local employers
together for one day to highlight the positive
contribution people with disabilities can and
do make at work.
What is Job Shadow Day?

9. • Opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor
• 1 day/week per year
• Use key principles of Supported Employment
What is Job Shadow?

10. How does Job Shadow benefit a
Supported Employment Service
Provider?
• It’s something new to offer Employers
• Links Training to Employment
• Opportunity to promote the Service
• 8 years of experience

11. How does Job Shadow increase
Employment in a local community
• Public recognition of the value of SE service
• Public Acknowledgement of Employer support
• Increased Employment Opportunities: -
Long Term Benefits (e.g. some employers now
contact the SE service directly when they are
recruiting.)

12. Key success factors
• Positive belief in the compentence, talents
of people with disabilities.
• Positive belief in the concept ‘simple -
action oriented - connection’
• Invest in a strong partnership and
communication ‘Together we can…’

13. Key success factors
• No fear of engaging with employers,
thinking in terms of opportunities, creating
jobs and longterm relationships.
• Good organisation and follow-up with
regional key-persons.
• Clear targets (national-regional),
monitoring and measurements.

14. The numbers…..
IASE Job Shadow Data
YEAR Participants
Employers/Host
Companies
Job Placements
2008 358 238 24
2009 472 322 25
2010 213 191 2
2011 345 324 5
2012 331 389 3
2013 446 429 19
2014 625 501 34
2015 668 642
Awaiting final
numbers for 20153458 3036

15. Open Door
Project
Jan 2013- April
2015

16. • Open Door is a project working with employers in the
Border, Midlands, Western (BMW) region.
• Promote equal employment opportunities for people
with disabilities using the supported employment
model.
• The Open Door is a Disability Activation Project co-
funded by the EU under the European Social Fund
(Human Capital Investment Operation Programme
2007 – 2013) and the Irish Government through the
Department of Social Protection and Pobal.

17. • Engage with 1500 Employers
• Raise awareness of IASE and Disability in the
Workplace.
• Organise 24 Open Door Events
• Achieve 500 Employers in follow up supports
• Create and enable activation
• Secure 60 Jobs
Objectives of Project

18. • Employed 2 HR
Professionals with
experience working with
Multinationals, SME’s and
Recruitment Agencies
• Project was divided into two
operational areas
– Area 1: Donegal; Leitrim; Sligo;
Mayo; Cavan; Monaghan and
Louth)
– Area 2: Galway; Roscommon;
Westmeath; Offaly; Laois and
Longford
Method and Approach

19. Method and Approach
• Building relationships with the Disability Services in the
counties.
• Organised 24 Employer-Recruitment Agencies focused
events and involved the Disability Services.
• Engaged 20-100 employers at the various events
• Engaged HR professional organisation CIPD, Business in the
Community organisation (BITC), Business Network
International (BNI) and Chambers of Commerce
• Engaged with Recruitment Agencies

20. What did Open Door Project achieve?
2013 - 2015

21. • Building awareness of disability and local services among
employers.
• Linking with HR professional organisations CIPD and BITC,
BNI in particular to get ‘Disability in the Workplace’ on their
agenda.
• Following on - commitment from CIPD Ireland to continue to
work in partnership with IASE/NIUSE to promote supported
employment.
Open Door project achieved many positive outcomes:

22. • Employers resource materials developed.
• 2 Video’s produced, employers involved.
• 1 hour documentary sponsored by Shell to air in June 2015 on Sky
channel 191
• New employer leads.
• PR campaign – increased awareness in the Regions.
• IASE Website upgraded and to be launched soon
• Employers App in development
• Supported Employment Services now working with Recruitment
agencies.
Other Outcomes

23. Open Door – Sample Media Exposure

24. Results Achieved TARGET RESULT
Events Organised 24 24
15 – Open Door
9 – Partnership
(100% of target)
Employers Engaged 1500 1303
(87% of target)
Employers Engaged in
Follow-up Supports
500 428
(86% of target)

25. How did Open Door engage
Employers?
TARGET
Cold Calling:
Email 73/Phone 138/Post 229
440
Networking Event: 66
On Site Visits 215
Open Door Event: 227
Partnership/Joint Events: 355

26. Results Achieved TARGET RESULT
Number of People with a
Disability participating.
60 51
(85% of target)
Number of Employers who
have provided Jobs at end
April 2015.
60 21
(35% of target)
Estimated Employers who have
given a commitment to provide
jobs when clients are matched.
60 13
(22% of target)
Estimated number of job
placements by June 2015.
60 31
(52% of target)

27. Location of jobs
secured to-date

28. • Opening Doors takes time……..
– Adopting a new and innovative approach to working with
the Disability Services. Change takes time Disability
services in past approached the organisations to seek
jobs and place clients.
– Building Trust was required to achieve the outcomes.
What were the Key Learning's from the Project?

29. • There needs to be consistency within the sector
– i.e. how clients are supported in one area should be
consistent with how clients are supported in another area.
• The implementation of Supported Employment Quality
Systems to ensure effectiveness and consistency within the
sector would enhance outcomes.
• Greater collaboration among stakeholders is required.
What were the Key Learning's from the
Project? – for the Future

30. • Open Door project has progressed important and
valuable work in raising awareness.
• Employers need to be continually reminded of what
supported employment can offer.
• IASE have an important role to play in developing
the sector to ensure supported employment
continues to improve and develop..
What were the Key Learning's from the
Project? – for the Future