Vocational training for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a program evaluation of the Impact Project



Updated: July 23, 2025

Resource type: Journal article
Research theme: Employment and Transitions
Language: English

Description

This study presents a program evaluation of the Impact Project, a community-based and person-centered vocational training program for youth with IDD, aged 15–19 years, in British Columbia (BC), Canada to assess whether early vocational training improved employment experiences for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Full information

Results: Participating in the Impact Project led to an increase in soft skills and unpaid and paid employment experiences for youth with IDD, aged 15–19 years.

Conclusions: Community-based policies could benefit from person-centered approaches when providing employment-related planning for youth with IDD in preparation for transitions from school into employment environments.