Developing Skills to Support Employment:

Facts, Findings and Challenges on May 30, 2017 11:00 AM BST

This seminar looks at the employment goals of vocational rehabilitation and employment counselling from a labour market perspective, applying research and statistical evidence to help us understand how to help clients more effectively. 
In the seminar we will remind ourselves of some of important aspects of the labour market: how it works, the importance of chance and of social and personal status. We will summarise the evidence from our review of ‘what works’ on how disadvantaged people might be helped to compete for the available jobs. We will look at some common non-medical practices in rehabilitation, asking whether they are supported by the facts, and we will discuss the test results from our skill curriculum for employment (vocational) advisors, and think about challenges ahead.
Questions and discussion will be very welcome! Webinars are not the most fluid form of communication, but we hope you will feel able to ask questions in advance, or post questions and responses during the session. Our project publications will be available in PDF free to participants.
David Imber is a Professional Member of the VRA and a Fellow of the Institute of Employability Professionals. He has over 30 years experience leading employment programmes in the private, charitable and public sectors. His company, VRC, provides evidence-based quality audits and design of programmes, training and qualifications for employment advisors, and research and skill-development projects in the UK and EU. The publication, with David Booth, of ‘Employment advice: what works for disadvantaged people’ was joint winner of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association’s 2015 award for Research and Education. VRC is leading the ‘STEP Project’ which researches and tests employment advisor training in Cyprus, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and which will make its curriculum and handbook publicly available in 2017. The curriculum has been shown to enhance both skilled and novice advisors’ confidence in supporting disadvantaged people.

To view the presentation click here.