A federally funded initiative will help construction and manufacturing employers in Canada improve their ability to recruit and retain young workers with disabilities over the next three years.
The “Transforming Workplace Systems to Build Sustainable Capacity for Inclusion of Diverse Youth” project will receive $4.44 million over 38 months, from February 2025 to March 2028, according to an announcement from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA). The funding comes from the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program.
The project targets youth with learning disabilities, ADHD, neurodiverse identities, intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges, according to the announcement.
Focus on employer capacity
The initiative represents a shift from previous approaches that focused on training individual workers, according to Dr. Emile Tompa, executive director of IDEA and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health.
“It can be difficult for youth with learning disabilities, ADHD, neurodiverse identities, intellectual disabilities, and mental health challenges to secure high-quality employment,” Tompa said. “At the same time, the constructions and manufacturing industries have many high-paying career opportunities, yet over the past decade, they have experienced labour shortages.”
The project is co-led by IDEA and the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto.
Systems-level framework
The project team will develop a systems-level framework to support organizational change by applying a disability lens to workplace policies, processes and procedures, according to the announcement.
An organizational assessment tool based on the framework will help establish baseline disability confidence levels and identify resource gaps within the construction, building trades and manufacturing sectors, according to the project leaders.
The team will also identify, develop and test workplace solutions to address knowledge and practice gaps. A platform and resource hub will provide employer tools and resources, according to the announcement.
“By leveraging CIRHR’s networks and research expertise, we’re ensuring that solutions are grounded in evidence and co-developed with industry partners,” said Rafael Gomez, director of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto.
Partner organizations
More than a dozen partner organizations will help implement the research findings, according to the announcement. Partners include Inclusion Canada, Autism Alliance of Canada and Youth Employment Services.
“With the need for greater youth employment opportunities, our government is helping young Canadians get ahead by connecting them with the employment and skill-building programs they need to successfully launch their careers,” said Leslie Church, parliamentary secretary to the secretaries of state for Labour, for Seniors, and for Children and Youth, and to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities). “Funded through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, this new project will create stronger supports for youth with disabilities, potentially serving as a model for similar programs nationwide.”
IDEA is a partnered, knowledge-to-practice social innovation laboratory jointly led by the Institute for Work & Health and McMaster University, according to the announcement. Its mission is to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities by focusing on employer capacity across recruitment, hiring, onboarding, retention, mentoring and promotion.
