Providing opportunities for all with a more diverse workforce

More disabled people will be supported into work thanks to a new initiative launched by West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

It is designed to break down barriers to employment and will be delivered by disability charity Leonard Cheshire, as part of the West of England Combined Authority’s workforce for the Future programme.

100 businesses will receive tailored, targeted disability inclusion training to help them create a more diverse workforce. 

West of England Mayor Dan Norris said: “I want disabled people in the West of England to have the right opportunities to get into employment. Work can be enjoyable, energising, and a boost to self-esteem. This programme is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to hearing first-hand from disabled people about its impact.”

The most recent statistics available in the region are from the 2011 census, which revealed that in Bristol for example 75.4% of disabled people aged 16 and over were economically inactive compared to a quarter (24.9%) of their non-disabled counterparts.  

Leonard Cheshire CEO, Ruth Owen, said: “There are over 7.7 million people of working age in the UK who are disabled or have a long-term condition, which equates to approximately 125,000 people in the West of England.  Encouraging applications from disabled people is good for business, not only because it increases the number of talented applicants available, but because it also creates a workforce that reflects the diverse range of customers a business serves, and the community in which it is based.” 

Over the next eighteen months Leonard Cheshire will work with local businesses to help them increase their knowledge and understanding of disability, providing training, workshops and resources and support them to proactively employ disabled people.   

Applications are now open for the Inclusion, Disability, Equality, Action (IDEA) project. Eligible businesses will be based in the West of England (Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire), and be a Small or Medium sized Enterprise (SME) with between 5 and 250 employees.

Those interested in joining the scheme can find out more information and apply by visiting the Workforce for the Future webpage or contacting samuel.sherlock@leonardcheshire.org

IDEA will also collaborate with a cross section of business networks, employment specialists and higher education groups in the region including Workforce for the Future partners; Business West, Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) and University West of England (UWE Bristol) to build capacity and inclusivity of their delivery. 

Workforce for the Future is an £8m programme – co-funded by the West of England Combined Authority and the European Social Fund (ESF) – that works with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help them develop their future workforce, meeting their current and future needs. 

More information can be found on the West England Combined Authority webpage for Workforce for the Future.