Job Shadow Initiative, 20th April – organised by the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE)

IASE Patron Sean Gallagher says: “Job Shadow is a very real opportunity for job seekers with disabilities to sample the world of work and for employers to see their abilities as well as the challenges they face in everyday life”.

On Wednesday 20th April 2011, hundreds of individuals with disabilities throughout Ireland will be afforded a unique opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal working day at hundreds of employment sites/companies throughout Ireland.

This innovative project is called the “Job Shadow Initiative” and is organised by the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE), a national organisation promoting employment rights and access to work and training for all people with a disability in Ireland. IASE has almost 900 members who are working with over 5,000 people with disabilities.

This national initiative is now in its fourth year. To date, hundreds of employers have signed up to sponsor a person with a disability to work with them or in their company throughout the day on Wednesday 20th April 2011.

Employers are very positive about the levels of support and guidance available to them, their employees and the individuals on placement through a professional job coaching service. This service is free of charge and ensures that the day runs smoothly for all concerned. “In this current economic climate positive initiatives which are presenting a win-win scenario for everyone are hard to come by and must be promoted and publicly acknowledged”, said one employer.

The benefits to job seekers include exposure to work settings affording them the opportunity to learn more about job requirements and employers’ expectations, thereby gaining an awareness of the skills and experience required to develop and succeed in the workplace.