“ Improving Diversity through

Supported Employment ”

Work Experience or Placement?Angelika Schafft

Øystein Spjelkavik

hosted by:

In association with:

What is the purpose of a “work experience placement” (WEP)?

• Work experience,

• Training in real surroundings,

• Determine job preferences and performances, strengths and weaknesses,

• Deciding on support measures,

• ... or just placement (“activation”)?

Ideal and reality• Many employers want to hire job seekers

with support needs – but not without a WEP. • The ideal in Supported Employment: rapid

placement in ordinary (waged) jobs. No, or short term, WEPs.

• The reality: People spend a lot of time in WEP, often with no employment at the end. Placement is “storage” and maybe a negative experience.

WEP will lead to employment when the employer has skills and ability to manage inclusion of pwd (almost) on their own.

Does that mean the Employment Specialist (ES) has to look for these employers in order to provide a «good job-match»?

What are ideal conditions for successful integration?

• «Ideal employer»: skilled, able to provide good inclusion without a lot of support

• «Ideal job seeker»: trained and motivated, with small support needs

• Yes! In these rare occasions job seekers will get a job.

But: Many job seekers have significant support needs.

And: Most employers do not have the skills and ability to manage the inclusion of these job seekers on their own.

What are the conditions for successful integration under these circumstances?

How can WEP contribute to integration?

What makes WEP a good experience?• When job seekers can learn, develop skills,

confidence, motivation, get work experience – and a real chance for employment.

• Remember: Also employers and co-workers have to learn, develop skills, gain confidence and motivation.

How can the Employment Specialist provide a good WEP?

• Find a good job match

• Give on-the-job support to both job seeker and employer

• Support the working relationship between job seeker and employer

• Systematic-methodical follow-up

«Systematic on-the-job support»• Explicit agreement (purpose, expectations,

adaptations, duration etc.) at the outset.• Systematic follow up of job seeker and

employer (check list, visits, proactive, revision of agreement etc.).

• Job development, career planning.• Support network with other support agencies.• Additional examples?

Employment Specialist

Support agency

EmployerJob Seeker

The employment specialist is responsible for the inclusion process

FOLLOW UP

Working Relationship

What is «good job match»?

• ”Good job match” does not mean to find an employer who has the skills, ability and requirements to manage the inclusion process with a particular job seeker.

• Good job match is a result of the competencies, the support methods and inclusion skills of the Employment Specialist.

Sources: Schafft, A. (2005). Praksislæring i arbeidslivet. Tidsskrift for psykisk helsearbeid. Oslo:

Universitetsforlaget. S. 186–188.Schafft, A. (2007). Ansettelse av personer med psykiske lidelser i ordinære bedrifter –

‘Vi må forstå arbeidsgivernes grunner’. Tidsskrift for psykisk helsearbeid 4(3): 254–261.

Schafft, A. og Spjelkavik, Ø. (2014). Arbeidsgiveres erfaringer med inkludering. In: Frøyland , K. & Ø. Spjelkavik (eds.). 2014. Inkluderingskompetanse. Oslo: Gyldendal akademisk forlag.

Schafft, A. og Spjelkavik, Ø. (2014). Arbeidsgiverperspektiver på inkludering. Oslo: Arbeidsforskningsinstituttet.

Spjelkavik, Ø. (2012). Supported Employment in Norway and in the other Nordic countries. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.37 (3):163–172.

Spjelkavik, Ø. & Evans, M. (2007). Impressions Of Supported Employment In Europe. Oslo: Arbeidsforskningsinstituttet.

Spjelkavik, Ø., B. Hagen, K. Härkäpää (2011). Supported Employment i Norden. Oslo: Arbeidsforskningsinstituttet.