Employers views on school-employer job-oriented collaboration involving students with intellectual disabilities at reverend Father John special unit, Winneba

Abstract

This study sought the views of employers on school-employer job-oriented collaboration involving students with intellectual disabilities at Reverend Father John Special Unit, Winneba. The study was underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm and adopted the qualitative approach, which employed the case study research design. A sample size of nine comprising three shoe makers, three food vendors, and three printing press owners were involved in the study. Semi-structured interview guide and observation were used to gather data for the study, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the employers’ motivating factors to engage students in collaboration with from Reverend Father John Special Unit were that the students got employment for some income; serve as source of education, and social responsibility. Furthermore, source of employment, build connection, and means of advocacy were some of the benefits employers perceive about the collaboration. However, the employers stressed that they encountered some challenges such as theft issues, poor self-care skills, communication gap, and poor interpersonal relationships when they work with the students with intellectual disability. The study therefore recommended that the authorities at Reverend Father John Special Unit together with the parents of the students should identify and target employers in the community that engage in work experiences that align with the basic skills the students are taught in school and approach them for collaboration focused on fostering employment opportunities to the students.