Robert Buckland MP and the Building Bridges Project are calling for local businesses, large and small, to back a campaign supporting people in Swindon with a learning disability.
The latest figures released by Mencap show that there are 1.4 million people in the UK with a learning difficulty. Historically, there has always been a significant gap between the proportion of disabled people in work compared with non-disabled people, yet people with disabilities make great workers. Evidence suggests that employees with a learning disability stay with one employer for a longer time and take less time off work.
MP for South Swindon Robert Buckland and Building Bridges have organised an Employment Engagement Event, which will be held in the Sir Daniel Gooch Theatre at STEAM Museum on Friday, 29th June from 10.00am – 12noon.
Robert explained: “Everybody should have the chance to succeed in their chosen career and having a disability should not prevent that, so I have joined forces with the Building Bridges programme to encourage more local employers to recruit people with learning difficulties.
“Swindon and Wiltshire has a wealth of people with valuable skills, abilities and potential who are being overlooked because employers are focusing on the barriers they face rather than the skills and attributes they could bring to the workplace.
“The Building Bridges programme is working to change this by offering free support to local employers. This includes explorative employment/ work experience discussions, face to face meetings to better understand business requirements, introductions to appropriate candidates, practical support with any agreed reasonable adjustments, HR advice with access to specialist support agencies and support and guidance in becoming certified in employer recognition schemes.”
Pluss, a Social Enterprise that supports thousands of people with disabilities each year to find work and achieve a career will also be at the event, along with Disability Experts, a local community interest company who support people with disabilities and long-term health conditions to live as independently as possible.
If you are a local employer, large or small and you would like to attend this event or find out more about Building Bridges, please get in touch by emailing robert.buckland.mp@parliament.uk