Transitions from school to sheltered employment in Norway - Experiences of people with intellectual disabilities

Accessible summary We interviewed people with intellectual disabilities about their experiences of finding a job. Some of the people we interviewed made decisions about their future job, while others were not part of meetings, planning and decision-making. Parents and teachers were important in the planning process. The people we interviewed advise students to be bold and take chances when searching for a job. It is important that people with intellectual disabilities are in charge when they go from school to work. ????? Background Nordic welfare models are characterised by emphasising both social security and labour market participation. Nevertheless, most people with intellectual disability either receive a disability pension or work in sheltered workshops. While transitions into integrated employment have been studied, transitions from school to sheltered employment have received less attention. We therefore explore the views of people with intellectual disabilities, transitioning from school to a sheltered employment programme. Methods We interviewed nine adults with intellectual disabilities that had made the transition into a service centre that provides both competitive employment with support, and employment in sheltered workshops. The interviews were analysed thematically. Findings The thematic analysis revealed two main themes: involvement during the transition and adapting to a new role. Most participants described transitions where they had been involved, in varying degrees, in identifying their work preferences, participated in transition activities and made personal choices. Some participants, however, shared experiences where they had not participated in activities, where personal choices were restricted to predefined options, or decisions were made by someone else. The participants further shared experiences of navigating into new contexts, characterised by new situations and new interactions. To navigate successfully in such environment, the support network was important. The participants advised future "transitioners" to be brave and utilise opportunities to find suitable employment even in challenging situations. Conclusions Our study emphasises the importance of tailoring the transition to individual preferences and perspectives rather than aiming for a uniform, one size fits all type of transition. It is important to build on the positive aspects of sheltered employment as well as to further develop innovative ways of transitioning into integrated employment.