Forty-one companies, including 18 public entities and 23 private companies, this week received a certificate of appreciation for offering the possibility to 64 people with disability to gain job experience with their entity. This was possible through participation in the Me2 project, a project co-financed by the European Union – European Social Fund, and led by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services with ETC and KNP as project partners.
During the activity, Minister for Justice, Public Dialogue and the Family Chris Said spoke about the government’s commitment to create more job opportunities for people with disability. He they have a lot to offer to society, and that their integration into the labour market benefits both themselves and the companies that offer them employment. In this context, Minister Chris Said thanked the 41 private and public entities that participated in the project by providing work opportunities and job exposures to people with disability.
Minister Said also referred to the current ETC scheme for local councils and said that thanks to such initiative around 80 people with disability who are registering for work will have the opportunity to be employed for three years with local councils. Payment will be according to the number of hours worked and based on the national minimum wage.
In her address, Sina Bugeja, chief executive officer of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, commended these companies for their commitment and thanked them for recognising the potential of people with disability, for implementing the equality principle and offering them job exposure. Ms Bugeja said the restrictions and stigma associated with disability are just an unjust stereotype portrayed by society. Thus, we need to take a step forward to assist people with disability to be fully and equally integrated, in particular within the labour market. Ms Bugeja also called for other companies and entities to take this challenge and employ people with disability.
Stephen Vella, Me2 project leader, said that when a person with disability is given the opportunity to excel in his/her abilities, the success achieved doubles since both the person and society benefit. The Me2 project experience is a clear example of how collaboration between different entities evolved into practical initiatives when the obstacles that were hindering people with disability to show their skills were overcome. Thus, various companies can now employ these people.
Sixty-four people with disability – 38 males and 26 females –benefited from job exposures as part of the Me2 project. At present, there are 17 out of these 64 who are still benefiting from job exposure with various companies. The Me2 project also employs 23 support workers. Their role is to guide people with disability in their work, offer them practical assistance such as accompanying them to work on time, assist them in using public transport and guide them during training at the place of work. Thanks to these experiences, clients acquire new skill, which they can use in future employment. Moreover, these people could also understand that they have something to offer to society as well as the concept of independent living since they would be in a better position to sustain themselves.
The Me2 project, which is led by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services in collaboration with KNPD and ETC, has achieved double the results predicted, as it has reached 430 people with disability. Moreover, as a result of this project, a cooperative was set up that is currently training and employing people with disability and providing services to both the private and public sectors.
For more information
about the Me2 project visit www.sapport.gov.mt