The Challenge Factory
Canada’s Supported Employment Sector:
Understanding the Current State of Research and Data Availability
The Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE) and MentorAbility Canada partnered with the Challenge Factory, a research and advisory services firm, to explore the current state of research and data availability related to Canada’s supported employment sector.
This project was designed to provide additional clarity around the sector, which can help to enhance sector visibility and self-understanding. It contributes to helping the sector articulate its value, foster a stronger collective identity, build an even more cohesive ecosystem, and position itself to proactively respond to evolving challenges.
It’s important to understand that this research captures a snapshot of the supported employment sector at a certain moment in time. The sector has already shifted since this project was completed and systems are being transformed and improved. While the sector is continually evolving—which itself is encouraging—the themes within this research remain valuable and CASE is committed to ongoing exploration.
This environmental scan:
- Reviewed and assessed existing research about the supported employment sector to provide an understanding of the current state of sector research and to identify gaps in knowledge.
- Assessed the sector’s visibility and representation in available data sources in Canada.
Along with providing a greater understanding of supported employment in Canada, this environmental scan also points to the future research needed to fully map the sector.
This project was made possible through funding from the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities.
(Photo Credit: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash)
Download the plain language executive summary
(pdf document)
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Key findings
Critical role of supported employment
Supported employment is essential for enhancing employment opportunities for persons experiencing disability and shaping Canada’s work, education, and labour markets. Supported employment services, which are delivered in all provinces and territories, are part of broader career development and disability support ecosystems.
Data gaps and inconsistencies
Research specific to the supported employment sector, particularly regarding service providers, is scarce. Data is inconsistently available and often hidden within broader employment services, career development, and disability support ecosystems.
Insights from previous mapping research
Findings from Challenge Factory’s career development sector mapping project and “Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent” report highlight valuable information about supported employment programs and responsible ministries. However, the scale of the supported employment sector within the broader landscape is difficult to determine.
Government resources and reporting
Targeted supports for persons with disabilities within Labour Market Transfer Agreements between the Government of Canada and provinces and territories are a meaningful research tool for understanding the supported employment sector.
Supported employment sector resources and research
Provincial and territorial networks are identifiable and important for sector representation. However, the individual professionals delivering services are largely invisible within existing data sources.
Supported employment services, which are delivered in all provinces and territories, are part of broader career development and disability support ecosystems.
However, the scale of the supported employment sector within the broader landscape is difficult to determine.
Academic research focus
Scholarship predominantly centres persons with mental illness using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, over other models and disability groups. The scholarship demonstrates that specialized supported employment skillsets are needed, but offers little around professional roles, service delivery specifics, and training needs.
Future research potential
The findings of this environmental scan offer pathways for future research areas and targeted data collection to improve sector visibility, inform policy development, and foster inclusive employment practices across Canada.
Challenges identified
Scarcity of sector-specific research
Research explicitly addressing the supported employment sector and its professionals is limited, leaving critical knowledge gaps about their roles and impact.
Limited sector visibility
Supported employment professionals and activities are often embedded within general employment services data. Despite the availability of some data and an ecosystem of networks, the sector lacks visibility and representation in both research and public awareness.
Despite the availability of some data and an ecosystem of networks, the sector lacks visibility and representation in both research and public awareness.
Limitations in existing data
Challenges in distinguishing supported employment data from broader datasets, like career development and disability support ecosystems, hinder comprehensive analysis.
Academic gaps
Existing academic studies primarily focus on a narrow segment (individuals with mental illness) and fail to address broader disability categories and service delivery intricacies. The dominance of the IPS model may hinder a full understanding of other supported employment models.
Need for tailored research approaches
Effective sector mapping requires customized research methodologies that address the unique characteristics and data gaps within the supported employment landscape.
Future research for better outcomes
The environmental scan suggests areas where further exploration can be pursued in larger-scale or follow-on projects.
Data availability assessment as guide for future research
The data availability assessment conducted during this project could guide future research methodologies, resource allocation, and advisory committee composition. It shows where data sources and methods used to map Canada’s career development sector may be relevant for mapping the supported employment sector.
Service access points
How persons with disabilities learn about and access supported employment services and programs is an important topic for future research. Known access points (Benefits Finder, Benefits Wayfinder, and the Canadian Disability Resources Society’s disability resources directory) may be used as research tools to map the ecosystem of publicly available services and programs at the provincial, territorial, and federal levels.
211.ca
In a larger-scale research project, provincial and territorial 211 websites may provide a significant amount of data about Canada’s supported employment sector (such as names and locations of organizations and, potentially, client needs).
Recommendations to strengthen the sector
Needs assessment for job role standardization
Standardizing job titles within a profession can improve clarity of roles, facilitate integration of new professionals, enhance public awareness, and build trust and recognition in professional expertise and specialization. A needs assessment could help determine the feasibility of standardizing job titles within the supported employment sector and how they would be received by sector members and achieve the intended improvements.
Professional pathways and career progression
To gather more information on the professional pathways and career progression for supported employment professionals, a range of research methods could be used. Identifying specific methods that would be most useful and feasible would require additional research scoping and development work.
Outlining usability and limitations of data sources
A summary could be created of the usability and limitations of the data sources referenced in this report to make it easier for this information to be applied effectively. Potential strategies could be developed to align the varying reporting standards across provinces and territories to improve consistency.
Regional specificities and provincial/territorial disparities
Regional specificities have a significant influence on the supported employment sector. Understanding these nuances, which could include types of service providers, collaboration models, and job seeker and employer needs, is required to draw a complete picture of the sector across the country.
Understanding regional specificities, which could include types of service providers, collaboration models, and job seeker and employer needs, is required to draw a complete picture of the sector across the country.
Similarly, consultations with key interest holders could help to build a comparative analysis to illuminate the significant disparities among provinces and territories. Solutions could be proposed that are adapted to each context.
How interest holders impact supported employment outcomes
Research the information available on how interest holders’ involvement specifically impacts supported employment outcomes for different disabilities. Interest holders can include families, supported employment professionals, medical/clinical practitioners, policy/decision makers and implementing professionals, campus representatives, etc.
Training and recruitment to address sector skill gaps and evolving needs
No training programs or information about the recruitment process and specific skillsets for supported employment professionals were identified in existing sector research. Training programs, the recruitment process, and supported employment skillsets would make excellent topics for future research.
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