Gerald Jones MP recently opened a Disability Confident Event, organised by Merthyr Tydfil Institute of the Blind and Job Centre Plus to inform local employers about the benefits of signing up to  ‘Disability Confident’.

Disability Confident is a UK Government scheme that is designed to help businesses recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent.

The event at Morlais Castle Golf Club saw a range of employers attend, who heard from a number of employers and organisations, including Delsion, Next, Case-UK, Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind and Access to Work.  Employers were also able to network and sign up to Disability Confident and find out exactly what support is available to them.

During the event, Gerald Jones MP presented certificates to the employers for signing up to Disability Confident.

Carol Pugh, Partnership Manager at Job Centre Plus said:

“We are delighted that so many employers and disability organisations came together to demonstrate that employing disabled people is not only the right thing to do but that it also makes perfect business sense.”

Employment and Training Manager at Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind, Petra Kennedy said:

 “The excellent attendance at this event shows that employers want to know more and are looking to support and engage a diverse workforce. As a support agency this is very encouraging and we hope that this will enable us to support more local people into local jobs.”

In his remarks, Gerald Jones MP said:

“Our area is made up of diverse towns and villages and we recognise that everyone is different and we should treat these differences with respect. We really value the diversity of everyone that live and work in the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.

 

“Employers can experience beneficial impact on their non-disabled employees from having taken a positive approach to disability in the workplace. By creating an environment where disability is accepted in a way in which we, as individuals, differ from each other, employees can feel proud that their employer is helping improve attitudes towards disability.”

To find out more about Disability Confident please see the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign