Supported Employment empowers disabled job seekers to fully participate in the workforce and achieve their goals, making it a unique and impactful form of employability support.
Supported Employment is a 5 stage programme that has been designed to support disabled people or people with long term conditions to get paid work. It is underpinned by a set of values and principles that ensure each person and their employer receives a high quality and consistent service, regardless of which local provider is supporting them.
The Supported Employment Framework is endorsed by the Scottish Government as “an employment first approach”, which focuses on positive outcomes for individuals.
Supported Employment helps disabled people or those with long-term health conditions find and keep jobs in the regular labour market. It involves personalised support from employment specialists who match individuals with suitable employers, provide job coaching, and offer ongoing assistance to both employee and employer. The goal is long-term employment success and independence.
Supported Employment is a win-win for both employers and employees:
- Improved Employee Performance: Job coaching and training ensure employees are well-prepared.
- Customised Job Matches: Specialists work closely with employers to find the right candidates.
- Free Recruitment Service: It creates an inclusive, dynamic workplace and helps disabled employees thrive.
Supported Employment differs from other employability support:
- Individualised Support: Tailored to each individual’s needs and strengths, unlike general vocational training.
- Focus on Competitive Employment: Aims for regular jobs, not temporary or transitional ones.
- Collaboration with Employers: Ensures a good job match and addresses workplace challenges.
- Ongoing Assistance: Continuous support even after securing a job, unlike short-term assistance from other programs.
What job seekers say about Supported Employment
“It has been incredibly beneficial to have the assistance of the VIAS job coach. Triple E has provided me with consistent and comprehensive support in helping me find and approach potential job opportunities. Thanks to them I have secured a truly fantastic job opportunity, which I couldn’t have done alone. Thank You.”
J, Paisley.
“Thank you. The team are chatting away to me and I’ve been working alongside some people for now. I thought it would take me longer to get a job and happy to be here in a job after all these years.”
Lee, Renfrew.
North Lanarkshire Council’s Supported Employment Service held a training session in April 2025 with the young people who are part of the Roots Employability Programme. As part of the employability workshop the young people were asked for their open and honest feedback of the service they have received. “The interaction from our young people was excellent. The overall opinion was that Supported Employment is so important and without this support, the young people felt they would not have managed to source employment opportunities, nor manage to sustain these.”
