title: Breaking into the world of employment: the vocational experience of South African male ex-offenders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study is aimed at exploring, describing and understanding the experiences and perceptions of male ex-offenders with regards to their participation in skills development and/or training programmes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research methodology utilised the qualitative research paradigm, specifically using the tradition of phenomenology. To gather data from the participants, focus groups and face to face interviews were conducted, consisting of broad questions followed by probes to gain an in-depth description of participants' experiences and perceptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five males who were classified as being ex-offenders and one female (key informant) participated in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three themes emerged that reflected the vocational experience of ex offenders: 1) A sense of distrust, 2) A sense of support: Giving back to the community through learning and doing, 3) Working towards change through capacity building.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the study suggest that occupational therapy practitioners as well as correctional service personnel should identify and eliminate the barriers that impacts on return to work intervention programmes. Professionals working with offenders and ex-offenders should incorporate the enablers identified in this study when designing return to work programmes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, University of the Western Cape, Belville, South Africa. msoeker@uwc.ac.za
authors.forename: Mogammad Shaheed
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Soeker
authors.forename: Firdaus
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carriem
authors.forename: Meagan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.forename: Tameryn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Joynt
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naidoo
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational