Sheila Bonny, an instructor with the Way to Work program at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) – Kelsey Campus, wrote the following article for Dialect (September / October 1998), the regular publication of the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living (SACL). The article discusses the Way to Work program, and relates the experiences of some of the participants in that program.
A 40-week employment preparation program for adults with intellectual disabilities is being offered at the Kelsey campus of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) in co-operation with SACL. The program originated through discussions between SACL and the Basic Education 10 Coordinator about the needs of adult learners at Kelsey. The two agencies had a vision of an inclusive society and shared a concern about people with intellectual disabilities. The result was the Way to Work employment preparation program that began in April 1996. Its success led to the 1998 Post-Secondary Educators of Distinction Award.
The Way to Work programcombines classroom time at the Kelsey campus with workplace training in local businesses. BothSACL and Kelsey meet to assessprogress and to locate full-time employment. SACL provides continued employment counseling for the participants after the program’s conclusion.
“The two agencies had a vision of an inclusive society and shared a concern about people with intellectual disabilities.”
The SACL and Kelsey jointly select candidates for the program. SACL’s Employment Opportunities consultants refer potential candidates who are then interviewed to assess their motivation and readiness to work. The participants vary widely in ability levels and many have been labelled functionally illiterate. Some people have never worked, lived independently or had to make decisions of significance. The instructors work with each person to determine and develop their potential.