NZDSN National Employment Symposium “Why Work Matters” Grant Cleland Workbridge Achieving Employment for Disabled People, Like Everyone Else

Employment Opportunities Like Everyone Else Grant Cleland Workbridge Chief Executive August 2017

Workbridge Workbridge is the largest NZ owned employment agency for people with a disability, injury or illness. We arrange around 3,500 - 4000 jobs each year 36,857 jobs in the past decade. We work with jobseekers who have a disability, injury or illness lasting 6 months or more, that creates a barrier to obtaining employment. We have over 75 Employment Consultants in 22 locations. Our key role is to get jobs for disabled people. We also administer Support Funds on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development - covers "disability related“ workplace and training support costs.

We Need to Think Differently About the Employment of Disabled Jobseekers Instead of considering employing disabled people to be ‘socially responsible’, we need employers to see disabled jobseekers as a talent pool, who can improve their bottom line with the right supports. Key Messages for Employers: 228,000 disabled people of working age (15 to 64 years) in New Zealand, are not employed 74% of these people would like a job Only 10% of disabled staff required modifications to their work area or equipment to help them do their job Only 28% had difficulty doing some tasks or duties Only 11% said their condition limited the number of hours they could work There is support when jobseekers and employers need support The majority of disabled staff require the same workplace support as the general population. Source: Labour Market findings from the 2013 New Zealand Census

Cost Benefit of Disabled People Reaching the Same Rate of Employment   Source: Workbridge/Allen & Clarke (2016). A billion-dollar opportunity: The potential benefits of equal employment for disabled people in New Zealand. Wellington. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

Purpose Partnership between Disability Employment Forum (DEF) and Business New Zealand, with an across agency Governance Group. To provide a stocktake of information, case studies and analysis about building disability confident workplaces.

Disability Employment Forum (DEF) DEF Working Group: Disabled people, key DPOs and NGOs working in the disability employment space. What have we achieved … DPOs and Providers working and advocating together. Government agreed to an Disability Employment Summit and Disability Action Plan including employment of disabled people. Disability Confident Employer Research Project. Advocated on changes to MSD Contracts. DEF Members have developed the Cost Benefit Paper. Joint DEF/MSD Work Experience and Internships Project. National Party agreed to a specific employment strategy for disabled people.

Information sources Information search Published literature Websites – resources for employers, disabled people Interviews Disabled employees 5 Small to medium employers 8 Large employers 9 Disability stakeholders and disabled people’s organisations 13 Total 35

What we learnt from employers? There are some very committed employers who actively employ disabled people Wanting a reliable employee who is the right fit for their job Supported employment services make a difference Success stories from already committed employers encourage other employers to employ disabled jobseekers. Potential opportunities: Employers are not disinterested but are unlikely to take action alone without support from Supported Employment Services However there is … A general lack of awareness by Employers of what disabled people can do, what support is available for employers including funding for wages and accommodations (support)

What employers learnt from their experiences? The value of their disabled staff It can take longer upfront to build skills but that is ok One main contact important to make it easier for them Prepare the team and the line manager Employers welcome support from others

What we learnt from the literature review? Initiatives Level of evidence (from strongest to weakest) Supported employment (i.e. ‘place and train’) Strong evidence that supported employment is effective and that it is more effective than pre- vocational training. Support for people who become disabled while in employment Early intervention is a key factor in successful return to work and it is efficient way to provide support to someone to enable them to stay in work. Wage subsidies for disabled employees Time limited wage subsidies can be effective to address some employers’ concern about the extra costs of employing disabled people. But they shouldn’t be used as a carrot to buy jobs.

What we learnt from the literature review? Initiatives Level of evidence (from strongest to weakest) Internships (including wage subsidies) Moderate level of evidence that paid/unpaid work experience can improve employment outcomes. Helping disabled youth access internships increases their future job prospects. Anti-discrimination legislation including requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations This is useful but insufficient on its own to significantly increase the proportion of disabled people in employment. Anti-discrimination marketing campaigns There is evidence that there has been a reduction in discrimination during the time some of these campaigns have been running, but difficult to prove causation.

Beating the Barriers Increasing employment for disabled people requires systemic change Actions are required from all parts of the system Some actions are in place but others are not or are not aligned There are tensions between objectives focused on exit from benefit and objectives focused on sustainable employment Skilled disabled employees can act as role models and mentors Funding for outcomes is important, but requires agreed ‘best practice’ standards across the sector Employers need confidence that they will receive effective support We need to reduce the plethora of different documents providing information and advice into one site for employers, recruitment companies and promote it within employer networks Employers having someone to call is important – this could be another employer.

Beating the Barriers Funding must be easier for employers to access. Businesses listen to other businesses and there are businesses advocating to employ disabled people – how can they be supported? Many disabled people lack confidence to apply for positions. How do we address this as a sector? We need increased focus on strengths based applications and more disabled role models and mentors in an employment context.

Research Project – Key Points There are a number of employers who are already committed to employing disabled people There are many good news stories There are many willing employers who are unaware of the employment potential of disabled people, and the supports available The responsibility for change does not sit solely with employers We need to … Align our efforts from the sector and government to work with employers and their organisations to provide easier access to information and practical support for employers – we need to make it easy for employers Share information, address any discrimination to lay the foundation for change and ensure disability is part of diversity employment conversation Provide more specific support for employers as well as individual focused support for disabled people.

What is the next stage? We need … To determine why there is a general lack of awareness by some employers of the support available to assist them to employ more disabled staff Is it a marketing issue, the impact of the competitive tender environment, lack of coordination across the sector, a confusing marketplace for employers, etc A sector wide response to resolving the issues in this research, from all parts of the system. How do we do this? We need to provide simple information and advice to employers through existing employer networks, that meet the needs of small, medium and large employers Employers supporting other employers.

Increasing the Rate of Employment in the Disability Community With the current conversation about diverse workplaces, there is a real opportunity to increase the employment of disabled people in NZ. To achieve this, we need: To advocate for an employment strategy for disabled people which includes government targets, rather than the current Welfare Strategy for the employment of disabled people Increased investment in the Employment of Disabled People More collaboration across the sector – do we all need to do the same services? A sector wide response to resolving the issues in this research, from all parts of the system including MSD, etc To determine why there is a lack of awareness by some employers of the available support A coordinated approach with existing employer networks to provide simple information and advice to employers about our services To determine how we create a pipeline to employers for different segments of the jobseeker market, and the types of jobseeker preparation they require.

Workbridge Contacts Grant Cleland Chief Executive grantc@workbridge.co.nz Mobile: 021 442 333 Selwyn Cook Employer Ambassador SelwynC@workbridge.co.nz Mobile: 027 480 4569