Purpose: Previous research in social inclusion investigating low employment rates among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) points to shortcomings in vocational training for transitioning youth, exiting school environments. 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 IDD. Materials and methods: The study sample included 279 youth with IDD, who were part of summer programs in 2020, 2021, and 2022 at eight established community-based organizations in BC. Employment specialists at these organizations provided vocational activities and training, collecting the youth’s employment experiences in pre- and post-program surveys and activity diaries. This evaluation of the Impact Project employed a formative evaluation design to answer whether the youth-centered vocational training improved employment experiences. 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. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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