Labour Department actively assists people with a disability to find jobs

The Labour Department's Trial Placement Scheme for People with a Disability has been well received by employers. Seventy-five per cent of the 251 participants, were offered a job by their employers after the trial period.

Speaking at the Outstanding Disabled Employees Award and Enlightened Employers Award Presentation Ceremony 2001 today (November 23), the Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Pamela Tan Kam Mi-wah, said that the department would continue this scheme for three more years with existing resources.

A mentor programme will be introduced into this scheme. It will encourage employers to assign a senior staff to guide and assist the disabled employees, so that they can integrate into the working environment easily, thereby increasing their chances of staying in the jobs.

The scheme aims at encouraging employers to provide job vacancies for people with a disability for a one-month trial period in order to understand their work abilities. Participating employers will have a subsidy which is equivalent to the employees's half-month salary, subject to a ceiling of $3,000.

"Since the introduction of the scheme, we have received 366 job vacancies from 212 employers," Mrs Tan said.

Moreover, the department's "Self Help Integrated Placement Service" will be in full swing this year. By adopting a "help others and help themselves" approach, the disabled are encouraged to find jobs actively by themselves.

The department will set up small guidance groups for disabled job seekers to help them improve their job search and interview techniques. It will also encourage these job seekers to look for job information and apply for vacancies through different means by providing computers and internet facilities for them at the Selective Placement Division's offices.

"The service is very successful and the overall placement rate is 70 per cent," Mrs Tan said.

The department organises the Outstanding Disabled Employees Award and Enlightened Employers Award annually to commend disabled employees who had demonstrated exemplary performance at work, and employers who had made special efforts in employing people with a disability. It also aims at enhancing the understanding of employers and the public on work abilities of disabled people.

Twelve outstanding disabled employees and 12 enlightened employers were awarded this year.

"The industrious and positive working attitudes of the winning disabled employees were commendable.They have set good examples for us to follow."

"The award winners include a blind acting Chief Executive Officer who has been with the Government for 21 years; a deaf senior cook who has been working in a hotel for four years; a Chinese calligraphist who, though without his right arm, can type faster than ordinary people; and a single-eyed mentally retarded cleaner who participates in voluntary service after work, and has been commended as an outstanding young volunteer."

"Employers from Government departments and the private sectors alike count on talents and capabilities in recruitment. They have offered equal employment opportunities for people with a disability," she said.

The Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department has successfully secured jobs for more than 23,000 disabled job seekers since its establishment. It also broke the record by securing 2,100 jobs for disabled job seekers in the first ten months this year. In addition, the department has set a good example by recruiting two disabled persons as labour officers.

Mrs Tan urged all employers, rehabilitation organisations and other members in the society to continue to render support to the disabled and thereby facilitating more disabled to get a job.

"The Labour Department is committed to enhancing its services and I do hope that more enlightened employers will offer vacancies for people with a disability, so that the latter could demonstrate their abilities and contribute to the community," she said.