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Alberta Employment First Strategy
1
Alberta Employment
First Strategy

2
Contents
3 Message from the Minister
5 The Alberta Employment First Strategy
7 Introduction
9 The need for a new approach
15 The strategic framework
19 Next steps
21 Appendix

3
In Alberta, everyone who wants to work, and
is able to work, should have the opportunity
to build a rewarding career.
Employment gives Albertans with disabilities the opportunity to earn
an income, learn skills, build relationships, demonstrate abilities, develop
self-confidence and feel a greater sense of belonging to our communities.
I envision our province to be a place where every person with a disability
is involved in his or her community in truly meaningful ways. We have
an opportunity now to address the challenges and barriers faced by
persons with disabilities, support their career preparation and create
more welcoming workplaces.
The Alberta Employment First Strategy is the result of a unique collaboration
between the Government of Alberta and our partners and incorporates
the thoughtful feedback we received when we posted the draft strategy
on the Social Policy Framework website in May 2013.
The strategy focuses on creating the kinds of employment opportunities
that contribute to a rich and fulfilling life for all Albertans and recognizes
the need for a new approach to make this happen.
There are many outstanding service providers throughout the province
dedicated to supporting persons with disabilities. A number of Alberta
employers have already embraced inclusive workplaces and know the
benefits of hiring persons with disabilities.
It is my hope that the Alberta Employment First Strategy will build on these
successes and continue to evolve as governments, employers, educators,
service providers and persons with disabilities and their families establish
new linkages and partnerships.
I look forward to working with you as we implement the Alberta Employment
First Strategy and move closer to reaching Alberta’s Social Policy Framework
vision of a province that provides opportunities to all of its citizens.
Sincerely,
Honourable Naresh Bhardwaj
Associate Minister,
Services for Persons with Disabilities
Message from the Associate Minister

4
The Alberta Employment First Strategy takes a cross-disability view and considers
the full diversity of disabilities and life circumstances.

5The Alberta Employment First Strategy
The Alberta Employment First Strategy
is the result of a unique collaboration involving
a number of Alberta government ministries,
service providers, employers, associations
and Albertans.
The Alberta First Employment Strategy
is centred around the underlying principle
that employment is the preferred outcome
for adult Albertans with disabilities and
an important experience for working age
youth. The strategy takes a cross-disability
view and considers the full diversity of
disabilities and life circumstances.
The Alberta Employment First Strategy recognizes that there is no one
solution that will work for everyone. Instead, broad strategic directions and
actions will be realized in different ways and by different partners to support
the needs of each individual.
In this way, the strategy will help to expand the opportunities for Albertans
with disabilities. The result will be an increased focus on both employment
outcomes and services for Albertans with disabilities.
What is Employment First?
Employment First is an approach to providing employment
supports to persons with all types of disabilities including
those with complex and significant disabilities for whom
job opportunities in the past may have been limited or
not available. It recognizes that the key to success lies
in ensuring that both youth and adults with disabilities have
the appropriate post-secondary education, training and
skills development to help them to meet their career goals.
Employment First focuses on finding new ways for partners
to create supportive environments and new collaborations
that provide the right kinds of supports for people whose
needs are different and may change over time.

6
Alberta has a strong history of supporting employment for persons with disabilities.

7Introduction
Alberta has a strong history of supporting
employment for persons with disabilities.
Employers, community agencies, service
providers, educators, governments and
others provide a wide range of programs,
services and supports to help Albertans
with disabilities prepare for, obtain, maintain
and advance in employment.
The Alberta Employment First Strategy builds on the strengths of existing
programs and considers how to transform them to better address the
varying and unique needs of individuals with disabilities. The strategy’s goal
is to significantly increase the number of Albertans with disabilities who are
employed and have careers that are meaningful to them.
Alberta employers are facing projected labour shortages over the next
10 years and need to begin looking to underrepresented groups to find
the workforce of tomorrow. This strategy focuses on helping Albertans with
disabilities succeed in the workforce by fostering welcoming workplaces
and supporting them as they prepare for work by creating inclusive schools,
colleges, technical institutes and universities.

8
Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual
or sensory impairments.

9
Albertans with disabilities are a diverse group
• A disability can occur at any age or any stage of life. Some individuals
are born with a disability while others acquire a disability at some point
in their lives.
• Some individuals may have more than one disability or may have
other conditions in addition to their disability that make their needs
more complex.
• Some individuals have episodic disabilities. Their disability is long-term,
but they have periods of good health broken up by unpredictable periods
of illness or disability that can last for different lengths of time. Examples of
episodic disabilities include multiple sclerosis, lupus, some forms of mental
illness and arthritis.
• Some individuals have disabilities that are progressive and can become
more severe over time.
• In 2012, 9.4% of working-age Albertans (15 to 64) reported having
a disability compared to 35.7% of Albertans aged 65 and older.3
• Approximately 21% of Albertans with disabilities live with very
severe disabilities.4
1
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2,3,4
Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012
The need for a new approach
Approximately
12.5%
or 369,190
of Albertans
live with
a disability2
“Persons with disabilities include those who
have long-term physical, mental, intellectual
or sensory impairments which in interaction
with various barriers may hinder their full and
effective participation in society on an equal
basis with others.”1

10
Albertans with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed
than Albertans without disabilities.

11
Persons with disabilities are more likely
to be either unemployed or underemployed
Some persons with disabilities experience greater challenges and barriers
to employment for a variety of reasons.
In fact, the federal government has estimated there are approximately
795,000 working age Canadians with disabilities who are unemployed,
despite having a disability that should not prevent them working.
Of these, approximately 50% have post-secondary education.5
Albertans with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed or
underemployed than Albertans without disabilities. The employment rate
for Albertans with disabilities in 2006 was almost 15% lower than it was
for Albertans without disabilities.6
While this was an improvement over
the 20% difference in 2001,7
we know that the economic downturn
of 2008 had a serious and lasting impact on employment rates for certain
underrepresented groups.
5
Panel on Labour Market Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, January 2013
6,7
Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, 2006 (based on the population of Albertans ages 15-64)
Employment rate for Albertans with disabilities
is 15% lower
Approximately
795,000
of working age
Canadians with
disabilities are
not working
50% have
post-secondary
education
than for Albertans without disabilities

12
Alberta’s untapped Labour Market
Alberta continues to have one of the highest labour force participation rates
in Canada. People seek out Alberta for the employment opportunities and high
standard of living associated with our thriving economy. Alberta also offers
a range of employment-related programs, services and supports available
to help those who need assistance to participate in the labour market.
Alberta’s long-term labour force strategy, Building and Educating
Tomorrow’s Workforce, identifies people as our greatest resource and
the need to develop the full potential of all Albertans in the workforce.
Groups underrepresented in the workforce make up a large pool of
untapped talent – including youth, persons with disabilities and Aboriginal
people. Strategies and initiatives to support education and employment
for these groups will be critical to the province’s long term success given
projections that strong economic growth in Alberta could lead to a cumulative
shortage of 114,000 workers by 2021.8
8
Alberta’s Occupational Demand and Supply Outlook 2011-2021.
Alberta’s disability supports
The Government of Alberta offers a range of supports for persons with
disabilities which have evolved over time. Typically, these supports reflect
the belief systems and best practice models of the day and have made
a difference by addressing a specific range of needs or a defined group
of people.
An unintended consequence of this approach is that Albertans with
disabilities receive different levels of service based on eligibility criteria
that were developed to target specific groups or diagnoses. The current
disability support system is not structured to meet the needs of all Albertans
with disabilities and prevents Alberta from benefitting from their strengths
and contributions.
Recent shifts are helping to lay the foundation for change. In 2010,
Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities which recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities
to work on an equal basis with others, in a work environment that is open,
inclusive and accessible. The Convention is intended to support changing
the perception of disability and recognizes that all people must be provided
with the opportunities to live life to their fullest potential.
Alberta’s Social Policy Framework sets out common principles for all
social programs and the direction for social policy in Alberta. In addition,
with social programs largely offered through Alberta Human Services there
are new opportunities to integrate a range of supports within the broader
disability system.

13
The importance of developing meaningful
connections through employment
Research shows us that people with disabilities lead more meaningful lives
and achieve better outcomes when they are part of their communities as
compared to those who live in institutional settings.9
Connection to a community can happen in many ways. For most people
it starts with employment which helps to increase a person’s independence
and quality of life by allowing them to use their abilities, develop new skills,
build relationships and be a part of the social fabric of their community.
developing a ‘whole person’ approach
Individuals with disabilities have diverse interests, different abilities and
strengths, and experience different challenges and barriers to employment.
Their need for employment supports and services varies based on a number
of factors such as:
• The type of disability.
• Where they live and the services available in their community,
such as transportation, child care or personal care supports.
• Supports provided by their family and personal networks.
9
Research and Training Center on Community Living (2010). Behavioral outcomes of deinstitutionalization
for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities: Third decennial review of U.S. studies,
1997-2010. University of Minnesota
Kozma, A., Mansell, J., & Beadle-Brown, J. (2009). Outcomes in different residential settings for people
with intellectual disability: A systematic review. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities, 114(3), p. 193-222.
10
Hiring People with Disabilities, Alberta Disabilities Forum, December 15, 2011
Many of the challenges related to the employment of persons with disabilities
are systemic issues. Stakeholders have identified the assumptions and
misconceptions regarding the abilities and work capacity of persons with
disabilities and the lack of employer awareness and education as barriers.
Other barriers for Albertans with disabilities include difficulty navigating the
system of employment supports and services, inadequate and inflexible
employment policies and standards, lower wages and fewer opportunities
for advancement.10
Improving the employment prospects for persons with disabilities requires a
‘whole person’ approach, since finding meaningful employment and career
development takes more than just a focus on a job and job skills. It starts
with developing a career identity early in life; finding a job and gaining
experience during school years; pursuing further education; and continuing
to develop job skills, including social skills, team skills, and critical thinking
skills for ongoing career development.
Albertans with disabilities need to be able to choose from a range of
employment supports and services that meet their needs. These could be
the same as the supports and services that employers provide to all
employees or they might be disability-related employment supports such as
job preparation supports, job coaching supports and other individualized
employment-related supports.

14
The Alberta Employment First Strategy moves us closer to the day when all workplaces
in the province are inclusive and Albertans with disabilities are working to their full potential.

15
Vision
The Alberta Employment First Strategy moves us closer to the day
when all workplaces in the province are inclusive and Albertans with
disabilities are working to their full potential and contributing to their
communities. From this, emerges our vision:
Albertans with disabilities achieve
meaningful employment that enables
them to realize their full potential.
Everyone contributes to creating inclusive workplaces and
communities. We all have a role to play in reaching this vision.
Outcomes
The desired outcomes for the Alberta Employment First Strategy
will serve as touch points that all partners can use to ensure that
their actions move us closer to achieving our vision. By periodically
checking progress against these outcomes, we will be able
to make adjustments as necessary, identify new areas requiring
attention over the lifespan of the strategy and report back to
stakeholders and Albertans.
The strategy is focused around three main outcomes:
More persons with disabilities are employed
Employment is more than just getting a job. Employment means ensuring
that persons with disabilities have:
• The necessary skills, education, training, and workforce experience
to prepare for employment.
• The right supports to obtain employment.
• The life skills and supports to maintain a job such as getting to and from
work on time, balancing work with other aspects of life, fitting into the
workplace, and understanding expectations.
• The ability to grow within a position and advance to other positions.
More workplaces are inclusive
Inclusion means the extent to which individuals feel valued and included
by an organization. Inclusive workplaces welcome employees with
a wide range of individual characteristics, backgrounds and experiences.
These workplaces respect, value, and promote diversity of thought
and diversity of experience. From an organization’s leadership to every
worker, each individual contributes to the workplace environment and sense
of inclusion.
Enhanced collaborative partnerships with community partners
Improving employment for persons with disabilities is not something that
can be done by government, employers, educators, service providers
or community partners working on their own. Everyone has a role to play,
and it is by working collaboratively that we will be able to welcome more
persons with disabilities into our workplaces and communities. Coordinated
efforts will ensure that all partners are working together in a collaborative and
integrated way towards reaching our shared objectives.
The strategic framework

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Strategic Directions
The following are the areas in which efforts will be focused now and over the
next five years to help improve the employment and career opportunities for
Albertans with disabilities.
Support Albertans with disabilities to prepare for, obtain,
maintain, and advance in employment
Whether someone is working towards a post-secondary credential,
considering their career options, or trying to adjust their workload to better
manage their disability, they may need information, supports or assistance to
help them achieve their employment goals.
This includes a child dreaming about their future, youth making informed
choices about school studies based on their career goals, youth and adults
attending a post-secondary institution and considering career options, and
adults exploring self-employment options or career advancement prospects.
Individuals with disabilities have diverse interests, different abilities and
strengths, and different employment goals. The employment challenges they
face and the supports they need will be different and may change over time.
For example, some Albertans with disabilities may need a range of supports
including, but not limited to:
• Career exploration, knowledge and skill development.
• On the job supports, mentoring and coaching.
• Transportation assistance to and from work.
• Funding to start their own business.
• Support to advance in their chosen career.
Recognizing that the foundations for employment success are often set early
in life, the Government of Alberta and our partners will focus on supports
that match the changing needs of persons with disabilities by:
• Developing new approaches that will improve the ability of persons
with disabilities to prepare for and achieve meaningful employment
and career opportunities throughout their lives.
• Funding a youth employment prototype project.
• Exploring new ways to match persons with disabilities who are looking
for employment with employers who have jobs to fill.
• Assessing current policies and programs to identify unintentional
systemic barriers and ensuring that persons with disabilities have
access to programs that support all Albertans as they pursue their
employment goals.
• Developing an action plan to increase the number of persons
with disabilities achieving their career goals.

17
Work with employers to create more inclusive workplaces
and improve employment and career opportunities for
Albertans with disabilities
Many employers in Alberta know that hiring persons with disabilities
is good for business. These employers have successfully integrated
persons with disabilities into their workforces and the results can be
seen in a more diverse talent pool, leading to more creativity and better
problem-solving; improved business outcomes; talented, committed
employees; and, an inclusive and diverse workplace culture.
Strategies will be developed with employers and other groups to help
them build inclusive workplaces, accommodate employees with
disabilities, and increase the recruitment, retention, and career
development options of Albertans with disabilities. Technology may be
leveraged to support innovative approaches, share information, and
help to connect Albertans with disabilities, organizations and employers.
To learn from the experiences of employers who have created inclusive
workplaces, the Government of Alberta has established an Employer
Advisory Council in order to build understanding of best practices
and provide a series of recommendations for how government,
employers, employment agencies and communities can work
together to welcome more people with disabilities into our workplaces.
Other areas of focus will include:
• Developing tools to help employers and industry understand
the value of hiring persons with disabilities.
• Creating new ways to engage employers and industry groups
across the province.
• Enhancing government recruitment, retention and advancement
of persons with disabilities.
• Developing a government internship program for persons
with disabilities.
Enhance collaborative partnerships and networks among
service providers to support persons with disabilities to find
meaningful employment
As the cornerstone of the delivery of employment-related supports and
services, service providers across the province have been successful
at increasing the integration of Albertans with disabilities into the workforce
and helping employers to build inclusive workplaces.
Strategies will be developed in partnership with service providers and
employers to build on these successes and broaden this approach through
a renewed emphasis on collaboration and networks that will enhance the
supports for persons with disabilities.
Additional areas of focus will include:
• Making effective use of technology to assess, develop, share and
implement new approaches to enhancing employment opportunities.
• Supporting new collaborative relationships and providing opportunities
for service providers to share and benefit from innovative approaches
and best practices.
• Enabling learning opportunities on innovative employment practices
through regular webcasts and an annual symposium.

18
key enabling actions
Following are key actions which will help advance the success of the Alberta
Employment First Strategy. Additional enabling actions may be identified as
conversations continue and the Alberta Employment First Strategy evolves.
Work with other ministries and jurisdictions
to coordinate efforts
Programs, services, and supports designed to improve the employment
and career opportunities for Albertans with disabilities are offered by
a number of Government of Alberta ministries and other jurisdictions
such as the federal government and the province’s municipalities.
Effective coordination and collaboration among all levels of government
is an essential underpinning of the Alberta Employment First Strategy.
As an example, ensuring access to education is a critical component
of enhancing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The Alberta Employment First Strategy will rely on the collaborative efforts
of the ministries of Alberta Human Services, Alberta Education, Alberta
Innovation and Advanced Education and Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training
and Labour to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the
education and training programs they need to succeed in employment
and to support their career development.
The Alberta Employment First Strategy is influenced by a number
of significant initiatives across the Government of Alberta including:
• Alberta’s Social Policy Framework
• Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce
• Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Alberta’s Approach to Early Childhood Development
• Inspiring Education
Supporting meaningful employment for persons with disabilities will also
require ensuring that the work underway on each of these initiatives aligns
with the vision and direction outlined in the Alberta Employment First Strategy.
Create an innovative culture, adopt a learning approach,
and evaluate along the way
An open and inclusive approach to policy and program development
will be the foundation of the Alberta Employment First Strategy.
Creating a culture that celebrates and promotes learning, innovation
and ongoing evaluation will encourage governments, individuals, service
providers, educators, employers, and others to try new approaches
and learn from successes and challenges that may arise along the way.
Developing an innovative culture will result from sharing information,
leading practices, and results with each other on an ongoing basis.
The Government of Alberta will look closely at current employment supports,
services and policies to identify barriers and gaps and explore new
approaches. In addition, work will focus on:
• Developing a strategy to share information on projects and success stories
of individuals finding employment.
• Continuing the dialogue with external stakeholders.
• Establishing a seed fund for prototypes aimed at developing new ways
of operating and new ways of enabling persons with disabilities.
• Examining information and data needs in order to measure progress.

19
Everybody has skills and abilities they can contribute to the workplace and
to the community. Enhancing employment opportunities for persons with
disabilities will require a culture change by all who are part of the community –
government, employers, educators, service providers, families and persons
with disabilities.
This will take time and a commitment from all involved to maintain momentum
as stakeholders test and refine these new ways of working, and deepen
collaborative practices.
The challenge now is to think broadly and move beyond what we have
been doing to achieve a significant improvement in employment and career
opportunities and outcomes for persons with disabilities. A ‘learn as we go’
approach will help to keep the Alberta Employment First Strategy relevant
and evolving.
Next steps

20
Everyone contributes to creating inclusive workplaces and communities.

21Appendix
Developing the draft
Alberta employment first Strategy
In early 2013, Alberta Human Services began to work with other ministries,
governments, service providers, community agencies and employers
to develop a strategic approach to increase the employment and career
opportunities of Albertans with disabilities.
Alberta Human Services also initiated series of conversations around
the province with persons with disabilities, their families, service providers
and employers to learn about their workforce experiences. Central to this
work was the need to improve the common understanding of areas that
impact the employment of persons with disabilities including:
• Current policies, programs and services that support employment
opportunities for persons with disabilities.
• Barriers faced by persons with disabilities, employers and organizations,
service providers and community partners.
• Current leading and promising practices related to employment
for persons with disabilities.
Themes identified through
the first phase of consultation
Several themes emerged from the conversations held across the province
and through feedback on the draft Alberta Employment First Strategy.
Many of these themes related to taking a broader systemic or inclusion
approach to improve employment and career opportunities for Albertans
with disabilities and included the following concepts:
• The strategy needs to acknowledge the full range of factors that support
an individual’s ability to prepare for, obtain, maintain and advance in
meaningful employment. Dreams, aspirations and a focus on employment
need to be fostered early in life. Children and youth with disabilities
need to see they have a future, whether that future leads them to more
education and training, or a career path and employment. There can be
also impacts to employment for individuals at various life stages or when
disability occurs in adulthood.
• The strategy needs to enable an individualized approach to address
the specific interests, aspirations, needs and supports for Albertans
with disabilities. Creating more awareness of the abilities and strengths
of Albertans with disabilities will help to improve perceptions of what
they can contribute to the workplace and their communities. Work needs
to be done to improve societal readiness and support for meaningful
employment of persons with disabilities, including improving the capacity
of various sectors.

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• The creation of an innovative, learning culture will help to support
sustainable, systemic changes. Fostering innovative approaches and
providing opportunities for organizations to link together throughout
Alberta and with other jurisdictions will enable organizations to learn
from each other. Technologies can also be used in a variety of ways
to assist persons with disabilities, their families, employers and service
providers; however, it is also important not to overestimate the potential
of technology.
• Governments can review programs, policies and infrastructure to identify
opportunities to enhance employment for persons with disabilities.
In addition, there can be improvements in the collection and availability
of data on Albertans with disabilities.

23

24
Contact Information
Alberta Human Services
12th Floor, Milner Building
10040 - 104 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5J 0Z2
Tel: 780-415-0915
E-mail: hs.employmentfirst@gov.ab.ca
www.humanservices.alberta.ca/disability-services/employment-first.html

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