Trial scheme to promote employment opportunities for disabled

The Labour Department will launch a new Trial Placement and Mentor Scheme for People with a Disability for three years to promote employment opportunities for the disabled.

Speaking at the launching ceremony for the scheme, the Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Pamela Tan Kam Mi-wah, noted that disabled job-seekers encountered difficulties on employment mainly because employers did not understand and lack confidence in their work abilities.

"Therefore, the Labour Department introduced the trial placement scheme in September, 2000 to encourage employers to provide job vacancies for people with a disability for a one-month trial period in order to understand their work abilities," Mrs Tan said.

The scheme was well received by employers and the department received 387 job vacancies from 228 employers. Seventy-seven per cent of the 293 participants were offered a job by their employers after the trial period.

A new "mentor programme" will be added to the scheme this year. It will encourage an employer participating in this scheme to assign a senior staff to guide and assist the disabled employee, so that the latter can integrate into the working environment and get along with colleagues easily.

The department will publish a guide book for the mentors and provide necessary support and assistance. These mentors will be awarded $500 and commendation as a token of encouragement.

Participating employers will also have a subsidy which is equivalent to the employees's half-month salary, subject to a ceiling of $3,000.

Mrs Tan said that under the current economic situation, it would require greater efforts than before for people with a disability to find a job. They should brace themselves up, broaden and enhance their work skills in order to remain competitive. And most importantly, they need the support and recognition of employers.

"Enlightened employers will offer equal employment opportunities for people with a disability, allow them to demonstrate their abilities and contribute to the community," she said.

The Selective Placement Division of the department has received 5,540 job vacancies and placed 2,348 disabled job-seekers last year.