Employment of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study of Time Management and Job Training Skills

AbstractDespite existing legislation and provision of post-secondary transition plans to bridge the gap between secondary school and the workplace for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), workplace sites in rural central Ohio have continued to have a hiring rate of individuals with ID that is lower than the national average. The focal point of this qualitative project study was the exploration of time management and job training skills and their incorporation into the workplace and post-secondary transition plans for individuals with ID in rural central Ohio. This qualitative project study was based on the belief that individuals should be part of their community through employment as supported in Becker’s human capital theory. The research questions permitted interviews and plan reviews to be centered on how participants incorporate time management and job training skills in the workplace and in post-secondary transition plans. The design was a qualitative project case study with purposeful selective sampling of nine hiring managers and four special education teachers in rural Central Ohio. Interview and plan review data were coded and analyzed for common themes. Results indicated that additional on-going job coaching supports were needed both in and after the transition process to support students with IDs and employers. A broader implication for social change was that additional job coaching supports might increase the employment percentages for individuals with ID in rural central Ohio.