Diversity of work biographies and measures for workplace integration of persons with disabilities: Contradictions and potentialities

The presentation brings into focus the work biographies of persons with disabilities after an elementary vocational training in the context of debates on training, employment and workplace integration. It is based on an... [ view full abstract ]

The presentation brings into focus the work biographies of persons with disabilities after an elementary vocational training in the context of debates on training, employment and workplace integration. It is based on an empirical study conducted from 2012 to 2014 in Switzerland.

Background
For people with disabilities, who are not able to attain the Federal Certificate in vocational education, an elementary two-year vocational training program was developed to sustain their access to employment. However, the funding of the program is restrictive although the aim is to reduce the costs of social security and to promote profitable workplace integration. Moreover, in political debates as well as in the expert discussion on training and workplace integration the perspective of those immediately concerned is often lacking.

Goals and Methods
The study sheds light on the subjective significance of vocational training and on conducive/hindering factors (on the institutional, structural and individual level) to different forms of workplace integration. More than 400 persons with disabilities filled out an easy-to-read questionnaire and from this group a sample of 27 persons was selected for an in-depth interview. Additional interviews were conducted with a person from their work environment. Data was analysed with descriptive statistics (questionnaires) and open coding (interview data).

Results and discussion
The findings show six typical patterns of work biographies differing in the level of job satisfaction, the importance of vocational training, the degree of fulfilment of the professional ambitions and the stability of the pathway. As critical points we identified gaps in vocational orientation and guidance, the lack of further training for the target group and the pertinence of flexible transitions in and out of employment forms.
The presentation closes with a discussion on contradictions between biographical patterns of persons with disabilities, regimes of assistance and scopes in the system of social security.