Unlocking the Potential of the Disabled Workforce
- Emma Godwin
Hanga Aro Rau's vision is the realisation of disabled people’s potential, resulting in higher-skilled and higher paid workforces that meet the changing needs of industry. The purpose of this white paper is to reinforce this vision, providing actionable guidance to those ultimately responsible for the redesign of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system including a transition to Industry Skills Boards (ISBs). This important and critical role is better served supported with robust evidence-based information to ensure a responsive and evolving system, anchored by what has been proven to work well, for the future of all New Zealanders.
Executive Summary
An estimated 17% of the population of Aotearoa New Zealand have impairments, and because our society is built in ways that do not account for these, disabled people experience inequities in both employment and education systems. The employment rate for disabled people, for example, has decreased since 2013. Disabled people are also more likely to work part-time; have lower incomes than non-disabled workers; and have lower levels of labour force participation regardless of their level of qualification. In education, disabled people are more likely to have no post-school qualification and less likely to have a bachelor’s degree or higher than non-disabled people. It is critical that these inequities are addressed, both for the wellbeing of disabled people, and for the many contributions they can make to a strong and prosperous New Zealand economy.
We recognise the unique place of Māori as tāngata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the need to address the significant inequitable outcomes in education and employment outcomes for Tāngata Whaikaha Māori (Māori disabled people). 24% of Māori live with an impairment, the highest rate for any ethnic group in Aotearoa, across all age groups. Tāngata Whaikaha Māori are also less likely than non-disabled Māori to be in the labour force, and those who are in the labour force have higher rates of unemployment.
Poor outcomes for Pacific disabled people are also evident across a range of social indicators, including healthcare access and treatment, and employment and housing. These outcomes are often compounded when Pacific Disabled People are also members of other marginalised groups. We therefore need to consider the accessibility needs and appropriate cultural models of support for Tāngata Whaikaha Māori and Pacific Disabled People; to address the specific barriers each group faces; and to include them and their families in the planning of any supports or programmes to address these inequities.
This white paper draws on a range of sources about disabled people in employment and education systems to provide actionable guidance in the form of a series of recommendations for those currently redesigning the VET system and those considering pathways into employment. These sources include the research undertaken by Hanga-Aro-Rau and Waihanga Ara Rau that examined the experiences of disabled people and employers in Manufacturing, Engineering, Logistics, Construction and Infrastructure industries, and the literature review written to support it.