Research activities included a review of the Workforce 2010 findings and 29 interviews with service providers in the Calgary Region to assist in the development of a medium (e.g. website) for sharing information between service providers about best practices in recruitment and retention, and also, more importantly, a tool to market the disability services sector as a career choice to new students and potential employees.

Phase One of the project ended with the acknowledgement that the next steps needed were to: (i) re-contextualize the Phase One findings to be included in a website that markets the disability services sector as a career in the Calgary Region, (ii) collect organizational data and testimonials from disability sector employees that highlight best practices in recruitment and retention strategies to profile the 29 agencies that participated in Phase One, and (iii) collect data to inform the development of a tool and process to measure the efficacy of the recruitment and retention practices implemented. This is the focus of Phase Two.

• Sharara, N., Wagar, J., & Kowbel, S. (September, 2007). Recruitment and Retention Practices - Researching the Calgary Experience. Phase One Final Report. Prepared for Calgary Workforce Council and Calgary Region Community Board - Persons with Developmental Disabilities. The Vocational and Rehabilitation Research Institute.

• Tymchyshyn, D., Kowbel, S., & Sharara, N. (May, 2008). Enhancing disability sector capacity through strategic alliances: Innovative responses to workforce issues in Alberta, Canada. Poster presentation at the New Professional: Leadership in Science, Practice, Policy and Advocacy, AAIDD Conference. Washington, D.C.

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