20 May Wickford to host ‘Be Disability Confident’ roadshow
Businesses in Wickford are being encouraged to come along to a roadshow that aims to help people with disabilities into work, which will be coming to the town this month.
Basildon Council is supporting Essex’s ‘Be Disability Confident’ employer roadshow which aims to engage and encourage employers across the county to help increase the number of working age adults with disabilities into employment.
A roadshow bus has been travelling around Essex visiting a variety of locations, including industrial estates, shopping centres, retail parks, and the head offices of firms. The bus will be outside LT Carpets, Hurricane Way, Wickford, from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 May and Impulse Leisure Car Park, Robert Way, Wickford, from 31 May to 2 June.
Essex County Council, in partnership with Realise Futures, North Essex University Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (NEP), JobcentrePlus and Ixion, is running the roadshows in support of the Department for Work and Pensions’ national Disability Confident campaign.
It will raise awareness of the benefits of employing a disabled adult, highlight the support available to small and medium size enterprises, and encourage employers to sign up to be disability confident.
Employment opportunities, apprenticeship, traineeships, work trials and work placement opportunities for people are just some of the options available and the partners will be on the bus to talk to businesses throughout the year.
A short video has also been produced to illustrate the benefits of employing people with a disability and can be viewed at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVxcpue-_wA
Cllr Terri Sargent, Basildon Council member responsible for community and the environment, said: “I would encourage businesses to go along to this important roadshow coming to our doorstep. With a growing economy, Basildon needs to nurture talent and this is a good opportunity to discover this untapped potential. With seven million disabled working age people in Britain and 50 per cent of those unemployed, that is a lot of potential going to waste.”
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister for Disabled People, said: “Halving the disability employment gap is huge priority and we can only do this by working with employers.
“Essex County Council is leading the way by talking to local businesses about the benefits of hiring disabled people. This is at the core of our Disability Confident campaign.
“We want more people to get involved so that disabled people fulfil their potential in the workplace, boosting our growing local businesses.”
Cllr Malcolm Maddocks, Essex County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Adults and Children, said: “Disabled people have a lot to offer employers and can play an important part in the continued economic growth of our county.
“I would encourage all 63,000 businesses across Essex to look out for the bus in their areas, watch the Be Disability Confident video and come and talk to our partners on board to find out more about the support available to help them become Disability Confident.”
