Adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are disproportionately unemployed in comparison to adults without disabilities. In this umbrella review, we summarized the findings of 31 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of ASD vocational intervention research, encompassing 287 primary intervention studies. Most primary studies focused on strategies…

Activation policies are widely adopted to encourage labour market participation of unemployed youth, and yet they are poorly understood and monitored with regard to the causal mechanisms unfolding through their implementation. Activation schemes are often based on the carrot-and-stick logic informed by microeconomic job search theory, but…

Causal inference regarding a hypothesized mediation mechanism relies on the assumptions that there are no omitted pretreatment confounders (i.e., confounders preceding the treatment) of the treatment-mediator, treatment-outcome, and mediator-outcome relationships, and there are no posttreatment confounders (i.e., confounders affected by the…

In 2017, the authors began research for a book that would suggest training needs for the U.S. and Canadian workforce in the coming decades. Early in the research process they realized there was much more to understand in an evolving workplace than the call for reskilling workers. Workers would face many decisions influencing their careers while…

Researchers examined 49 unemployed subjects enrolled in a one-week employability skills training program in the mid-east region of the U.S. for a period of about one year. Classroom size was about four to five clients taught by two professional instructors. Subjects were administered a Job Search Self-Confidence Survey utilising a…

Educating high school students for both college and career is difficult. Teaching trade skills seems alien to the academic culture. But new research indicates that soft skills are quite important to judgments of employability and that youth learn many soft skills in traditional academic subjects (e.g., literature). A focus on soft skills allows…

Undergraduate psychology programs have not always provided the same level of support for their job-seeking students than they have for those preparing to become psychologists. This is a particularly unfortunate situation because, according to the American Psychological Association's Center for Workforce Studies (American Psychological Association,…

The institutionalised categorisation of adults who are over 55 years of age, unemployed and low-skilled as "older" and "disadvantaged" may adversely affect their employment prospects and their self-esteem. This paper reports on the findings of a study that explored the experiences of a small group of such adults; in particular,…

This article describes the approach implemented by one university to mitigate typical barriers encountered by college students with disabilities when attempting to find post-graduation employment. The unique vocational program offered is reinforced by the successful employment outcomes and case studies discussed in this review. Over a span of five…

This Practice Report describes the development and implementation of the "Maine Employability Skills Program," a model employment program developed by the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI). The program was designed to support the efforts of the chronically unemployed or underemployed. These consumers were either…

Women returners are women who leave the paid workforce for a period of time following the birth of their child(ren) and subsequently seek to return to paid employment. As women returners attempt to re-enter the workforce, many of them are in need of updating their skills or re-training in a new set of skills. In this study, the training and…

The author examined the role of narratives used by unemployed, underemployed, and displaced workers seeking job training assistance through a government-funded One-Stop Career Center. Interviews with employees of a One-Stop Career Center provided insight on client rate of disclosure of personal narratives and how client narratives are used to…

This study sought to uncover the career readiness and professional development needs of Ph.D. students at a large, Midwestern research university. Findings indicate that career goals of graduate students change over time, skill preparation for academic and non-academic careers continues to be inadequate for many students and professional…

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of verbal self-guidance (VSG) and self-management on youth employability. It seeks to access the joint effectiveness of these interventions, grounded in social cognitive and goal setting theories, for youth job seekers. Design/methodology/approach: The studies used experimental designs involving…

Discusses the benefits of using job portfolios as a tool to integrate the curriculum and improve trainees' employment efforts. Describes a method for integrating them into training programs. (JOW)