The NCED Youth Advisory team noticed a gap in resources that are easily available for job seekers, so they developed a resource fantastic resource to help young people understand their rights in employment services.
The National Collaboration on Employment and Disability (NCED) Youth Advisory Group are a group of young people with disability who are passionate advocates for inclusion and social change.
Over the last year they have delivered webinars for employers and professionals supporting young people with disability to transition from school to work, conference talks, and developed a series of resources to help employers to be more inclusive when hiring and onboarding new staff.
“For our final project of the year, we’ve developed a fantastic resource to help young people understand their rights in employment services. We noticed a gap in resources that are easily available for job seekers, and we wanted to collate some information for young people entering the workforce with the help of employment services” says Rhianna Malas, one of the youth advisors who wrote researched and wrote the guide.
Three young people living with disabilities led the work, supported by staff at BSL. Each youth advisors brought their strong sense of justice, different lived experience of navigating study, work, and employment services, and creative skills to this project.
Finding a job is a huge step in your young adult life but getting one might not be as easy as you would like. Luckily, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Employment services are there to help and support you through the whole process” says Chloe Sumner, who has now taken up the opportunity to be on the National Youth Employment Body’s Youth Advisory Board.
The youth advisors looked at stock photography of young people with disability – and didn’t like much of what they saw, so Kayla Sheridan drew illustrations instead.
The Youth Advisory Team at the National Collaboration of Employment and Disability have put together this guide that they have called ‘Thriving in Employment Services: your rights, your future’ to help young people looking for work.
“We hope this guide will help to build your confidence, dream big and go after what you want!” says Kayla.
The online resource covers ten topics for young people to learn about their rights and how to make the most of employment services:
Can you put up a poster in your employment services, neighbourhood house, disability service, youth space? Can you share on your own or your organisation's social media or newsletter?
Can you add this resource to your organisation's website/directory or list of links for young people or job seekers?
Can you share this story with friends and family?
This was created by young people who wish they'd known this when they needed it: so please help us get it out there to people when they do!
This has been made possible by the support of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation and a private donor.
