wow-inequalities/02-data/intermediate/wos_sample/a58ba903624561e641fa71af64fb10cb-gatto-laura-e.-and/info.yaml

abstract: 'Purpose The Government of Canada is adopting the pedagogical practice of

  Work Integrated Learning (WIL) to help youth develop the career ready

  skills needed to transition from school to work. As a result, colleges

  and universities are receiving funding to grow academic programs that

  link theoretical learning with practical work experience. However, there

  is limited research about the resources available to students with

  disabilities who engage in WIL. From an environmental scan of disability

  supports for WIL on 55 Canadian post-secondary institutions'' websites

  and survey results from WIL professionals we ask: Do post-secondary

  institutions in Canada help students with disabilities become career

  ready? The data reveals that 40\% of schools have no reference to

  disability services for any career related activities and only 18\%

  refer to disability supports for WIL. Survey respondents report they are

  not being trained nor have access to resources to support students with

  disabilities in WIL. The authors therefore recommend changes to public

  policy and resource allocation to ensure colleges and universities

  provide disability services for all WIL programs, train practitioners

  about career related disability management, and hire professionals who

  specialize in supporting students with disabilities in WIL.

  Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an environmental scan

  of 55 Canadian post-secondary schools with a student population of

  10,000 or more and identified services and resources publicly advertised

  online for students with disabilities in relation to employment and/or

  WIL activities. From this broad search, codes were developed based on

  general themes found in the recorded information, such as the location

  of information and the type of resources and services advertised for

  students with disabilities. During the environmental scan, the authors

  also collected names and emails of people listed as working in career

  and/or WIL departments who received an anonymous survey about their

  experiences working with students with disabilities. Findings As the

  Government of Canada expands WIL to improve labour market outcomes for

  youth, the research findings of the authors provide valuable evidence

  that post-secondary institutions are not supporting youth with

  disabilities to become career ready. Surprisingly, 40\% of

  post-secondary institutions have no reference to disability supports for

  career related activities and only 18\% reference supports available for

  engaging in WIL on their websites. In addition, WIL practitioners are

  not receiving the resources nor training to support this demographic to

  transition from school to work. This research can provide direction on

  resource allocation; specifically, the need for disability related

  supports and dedicated professionals for students who engage in WIL

  programs in higher education. Research limitations/implications A

  limitation of the methodology in scanning public sites is that

  universities and colleges could have services or supports advertised on

  sites that can only be viewed by the faculty, staff and students from

  that school. Thus, it is possible that employment information for

  students with disabilities is available for those with login privileges.

  The authors attempted to mitigate this limitation by collecting survey

  responses about programs and services from WIL practitioners who work at

  the schools. The authors also did not measure marketing of services on

  social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram).

  Another limitation is that the WIL practitioner survey results are based

  on their perceptions.

  The sample size was not randomized, nor can the authors confirm it is a

  representative sample of all WIL practitioners in Canada. Practical

  implications As countries continue to grapple with how to deal with the

  intersectionality of disability on an already disadvantaged demographic

  in the labour market, they must ensure that students with disabilities

  have access to career ready activities while in school. The authors

  therefore recommend public policy and resource allocation, not only in

  Canada but at a global level, that ensures post-secondary institutions:

  (1) create disability management programs and resources for all WIL and

  career activities; (2) hire dedicated professionals who specialize in

  working with students with disabilities in WIL; and (3) provide

  mandatory training for WIL practitioners on how to support students with

  disabilities in programs that develop their career ready skills. Social

  implications Preparing students with disabilities to be career ready

  when they graduate will benefit the Canadian economy. This wasted human

  capital not only negatively impacts a labour market with an aging

  demographic, it affects social service programs as Canadians with

  disabilities are one-third times more likely to live in poverty compared

  to Canadians without disabilities (Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017).

  The G20 report also stated that if employment rates for people with

  disabilities who are able to work were the same as for people without

  disabilities, economies around the world could increase their GDP by

  3-7\% (ILO and OECD, 2018). Originality/value There is no research in

  Canada to date that provides a national overview of the services in

  higher education advertised to support students with disabilities in

  WIL.'
affiliation: 'Gatto, LE (Corresponding Author), Univ Guelph, Sch Comp Sci, Guelph,
  ON, Canada.

  Gatto, Laura E.; Antonie, Luiza, Univ Guelph, Sch Comp Sci, Guelph, ON, Canada.

  Pearce, Heather, Univ Guelph, Dept Psychol, Guelph, ON, Canada.

  Plesca, Miana, Univ Guelph, Dept Econ \& Finance, Guelph, ON, Canada.'
author: Gatto, Laura E. and Pearce, Heather and Antonie, Luiza and Plesca, Miana
author-email: 'gattol@uoguelph.ca

  hpearce@uoguelph.ca

  lantonie@uoguelph.ca

  miplesca@uoguelph.ca'
author_list:
- family: Gatto
  given: Laura E.
- family: Pearce
  given: Heather
- family: Antonie
  given: Luiza
- family: Plesca
  given: Miana
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1108/HESWBL-08-2019-0106
earlyaccessdate: APR 2020
eissn: 2042-390X
files: []
issn: 2042-3896
journal: HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND WORK-BASED LEARNING
keywords: 'School to work transition supports; Work integrated learning; Students

  with disabilities; Work integrated learning practitioners; Inclusive

  education'
keywords-plus: 'YOUNG-ADULTS; EMPLOYMENT; EXPERIENCES; TRANSITION; EDUCATION; BARRIERS;

  OUTCOMES'
language: English
month: JAN 26
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '56'
orcid-numbers: Gatto, Laura E/0000-0001-7748-7900
pages: 125-143
papis_id: c29230a38ab09f21817a19140d1d5f28
ref: Gatto2021workintegrated
researcherid-numbers: Gatto, Laura E/N-8468-2018
times-cited: '5'
title: 'Work integrated learning resources for students with disabilities: are post-secondary
  institutions in Canada supporting this demographic to be career ready?'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000528876600001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '22'
volume: '11'
web-of-science-categories: Education \& Educational Research
year: '2021'