Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2016
An examination was made of the employment patterns of school leavers who had graduated from the four Christchurch work-experience programmes for mildly retarded children during a 4-year period in the current economic recession. Contrary to expectations, no differences were found in the employment patterns for graduates of each of the four years. In each year-group, levels of employment were high as were meantimes in employment since graduation, and frequencies of job changes were low. Several methodological problems which cloud interpretation of the results are discussed and the need for comprehensive and consistent monitoring of the employment patterns of mildly retarded school-leavers over the next few years is emphasised.