People with Down syndrome ‘overlooked’ in the job market
Laura Stremble loved her job at Crock-A-Doodle.
The 21-year-old Dundas woman refilled paints, cleaned tables, helped customers collect their pieces and set up for birthday parties.
But when the pandemic hit, the business was forced to close its doors - and they never reopened.
Stremble, who has Down syndrome, hit the job market in hopes that she could find another position in retail.
But despite applying for a handful of jobs, she only ever made it through one preliminary phone interview. Otherwise, she never heard back.
I'm disappointed," she said. And sad that none of them worked out."
Stremble isn't the only person facing troubles in the job market - however, she is a part of a community that often faces greater barriers when it comes to finding employment.
And a recently launched initiative from the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) is hoping to fix that.
Working with its longtime partner agency FCB Canada, the duo created Inployable, a new recruitment community on LinkedIn that aims to make finding and hiring folks with Down syndrome easier.
We know from our experience that many individuals with Down syndrome would like to work," said Laura LaChance, executive director of CDSS. But they face challenges in finding work and keeping work."
LaChance said those barriers include the systemic bias" that has left many employers wrongly believing that they are less capable and less valuable" in the workforce.
She pointed to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities that found that 50 per cent of people with Down syndrome struggle to find paid work.
For Joanne Stremble, that preconceived notion" couldn't be more untrue when it comes to her daughter.
It's ridiculous," said Joanne. Laura has people skills like you can't believe ... working out in the community, with the public, is the perfect place for her."
LaChance said with employers looking to the virtual realm for recruiting and hiring, people with Down syndrome are also getting left behind from a process that once relied on close connections and in-person applications.
The multipronged initiative - which focuses on job-seekers and businesses - aims to bring the community right to prospective employers' fingertips.
LaChance said those on the hunt for a job can be connected with a LinkedIn coach, who can help them set up an account, fill in their profile, highlight the skills they can bring to a workplace and teach them how to use the platform.
That profile is then added to the Inployable community page, which will be visible to companies.
Employers can then search the page, finding candidates that are in their area and that have the skills to match the jobs they're trying to fill - as opposed to hiring someone with Down syndrome to fill a quota," said LaChance.
That's what we're trying to get away from," she said, pointing to a culture of tokenism" in inclusive hiring. Jobs are based on skills, aptitude training and being able to deliver."
Stremble said she has several applicable skills to bring to the table when it comes to a position in retail.
I've got organizational skills, computer skills and I'm good with people," she said. I'm very task-oriented."
She also graduated with honours from the community integration through co-operative education program at Mohawk College - which aims to prepare those with intellectual disabilities for success in entry level work.
The employer section on Inployable will also feature resources for businesses, such as a section for frequently asked questions, as well as guides to help them create inclusive hiring and training processes.
LaChance said another goal of the campaign is to help solve the labour shortage in North America by providing employers with an untapped - and often invisible - group that is willing and ready to learn and work.
Hiring people with Down syndrome has also been shown to have a positive impact on businesses, including customer satisfaction, workplace culture and staff morale, according to the organization.
At the individual level, there are also lower turnover rates and increased attention to details.
Part of the campaign hinges on a dramatic video - which Stremble stars in - that features people with Down syndrome talking about how the current hiring system assesses their resumes.
In the video, Stremble said her resume is often overlooked" and seen as being not worth the paper it's printed on" as she tears it in half. Another person takes a saw to a stack of their resumes, while another throws their pile into a wood chipper.
Joanne said she hopes the campaign can show people outside of the community that those with Down syndrome can do all kinds of bizarre things" just like anyone else.
People with Down syndrome are just as different as people without Down syndrome," said Joanne. They all have different skills and abilities."
For Stremble, she's hopeful the campaign will help her land her next job.
I miss everything about having a job," she said.
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com