Improving workforce outcomes among persons with disabilities in Brazil through youth apprenticeships and customized employment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Brazilian laws have have progressively mandated opportunity and access to community and work life for people with disabilities and other historically disadvantaged populations. Legal mandates to companies to bolster employment opportunities have included specific quotas for companies to hire people with disabilities and for providing youth apprenticeships. Under these mandates, companies struggle to meet the quotas, and, despite the laws, workforce participation for people with disabilities remain well below expectations. OBJECTIVE: This article presents an approach to address these challenges using processes implemented through an international exchange of knowledge and methodology as well as case examples of individuals and companies who have benefitted from this approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Customized employment strategies were featured when Programa Integrando began working with students in Rio de Janeiro public schools in 2008. The case examples illustrate not only this process, but how disability hiring or YAP quotas were addressed by the hiring companies. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to emphasize that quotas, YAP, and disability hiring policies and initiatives are not enough to face the existing challenges of gaining work access, especially for people with intellectual disabilities. Connecting employers to job candidates is an essential part of the process.

Barriers to and facilitators of employment of persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

“…The included studies mainly focused on exploring the experiences of persons with disabilities and views of employers with regard to economic participation (31; 97%), whilst two specifically focused on vocational training (Malle, Pirttimaa & Saloviita 2015;Yusof, Ali & Salleh 2014) and one on integrative employment (Santos Rodrigues et al 2013). Although the included studies covered various types of disabilities such as sensory, intellectual, physical, learning, communication and multiple disabilities (Table 2), there was a vast representation of sensory disabilities, particularly visual disabilities (8; 24%).…”

“…Integrative employment was a reported facilitator to employment for persons with severe disabilities (Amin & Abdullah 2017;Santos Rodrigues et al 2013). According to Santos Rodrigues et al (2013), customised employment provides skills training opportunities, work preparation programmes, and integrates persons with disabilities in employment by linking them to potential employers and business opportunities.…”

“…Integrative employment was a reported facilitator to employment for persons with severe disabilities (Amin & Abdullah 2017;Santos Rodrigues et al 2013). According to Santos Rodrigues et al (2013), customised employment provides skills training opportunities, work preparation programmes, and integrates persons with disabilities in employment by linking them to potential employers and business opportunities. In a study by Amin and Abdullah (2017), supported employment workshops that provided employment opportunities to women with physical disabilities were located in remote areas far from urban areas where social and economic activities occur, not to mention that work in these workshops was not only non-stimulating but was of minimal wage.…”