News

:

, ,

New Inclusive Economy project teaches employers how to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace

A poster for the New Inclusive Economy's business roadshow featuring a man sitting at a desk looking at the camera and smiling.
The New Inclusive Economy is taking their research on the road with a Business-to-Business roadshow for employers looking to become more inclusive. Photo courtesy of Leni Goggins.
Pamela Haasen - CICK - Smithers • BC | 30-05-2023
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on email
Share on print

The province of British Columbia is aiming to become the most accessible province in the country for people with disabilities. A WorkBC Sector Labour Market Partnership project called The New Inclusive Economy (NIE) is a British Columbia  based, province-wide research project that began in March 2022.

According to the NIE website, many resources have been put into training people with disabilities to fill gaps in the workforce, yet, many employers don’t know how to, or aren’t prepared to offer meaningful employment to people with disabilities.

The nature of this two-year research project is to engage with employers and entrepreneurs with disabilities through an environmental scan, case studies, survey, interviews and focus groups, to answer the question: What workplace conditions and practices lead to meaningful employment for people with disabilities? And what are the alternative economic approaches to providing meaningful employment? 

Leni Goggins, Project Manager of Inclusion Powell River spoke to CICK on the phone about the New Inclusion Economy project's goal. "We ultimately want a world in which people with disabilities have choice and access to the labour market. The new inclusive economy takes the approach of researching what employers who are currently, employing people with disabilities are doing so that we can share those best practices and those structural conditions that those employers are creating with employers who are not yet inclusive."

The initial research and survey portion of this project is complete, and employers and employees alike are welcome to attend free New Inclusive Economy events across British Columbia starting in June. The roadshow will begin in Surrey and will come to Smithers and Terrace on June 14th and 16th.

The New Inclusive Economy project has connected with local companies to highlight their inclusive employment practices. In Smithers, the featured businesses are The Grendel Group, High Road Services, and Share Reuse Repair.

Listen to Leni Goggins' interview with Pamela Haasen for CICK News in the link below.

Download Audio