Scarcity of skilled employees and disability - driving force for more inclusion?
For decades, vocational rehabilitation has been dealing with questions of individualised vocational training in connection with a customised design of working environments; in sum, this is about opening up participation options for specific target groups.
The universally dominating discussion about securing skilled labour has recently also reached the hitherto rather neglected group of people with disabilities. Due to the low employment rate of this group of people, herein a labour force potential is identified – which on the one hand can be prepared for gainful employment through measures of initial vocational integration, and on the other hand there should be given return options into working life through structures of vocational reintegration.
For these two strands of action, innovative and scientifically evaluated concepts of measures were presented in the framework of a symposium at the Bamberg University Days for Vocational Education and Training with 14 individual presentations, the main features of which are outlined. This presentation is underpinned by current statistical figures from transition research as well as on participation in in-company training courses, which also were subject of presentations.
Consequences for the competence tableau of vocational school and rehabilitation education personnel are shown in two further presentations. This is pointedly brought together within the discussion line of two theory-oriented contributions, which are grouped around the core question of curative education - inclusion as a path and/or a goal of rehabilitation education efforts? An outlook on possible (inclusive) future scenarios for people with disabilities in view of the shortage of skilled workers rounds off the overall contribution.
