EmployAbility is a not-for-profit organisation working with disabled students and graduates seeking employment to ease the transition from education to employment; and with employers in the UK and Europe, to help them become more disability inclusive.
Most disability services are aimed at children or adults who do not reach higher levels of education. It can be assumed that those who do reach university level do not require such support. But research has shown that disabled students and graduates frequently face discrimination and barriers to employment and often struggle to reach the same levels of employment as their non-disabled peers. Employers need educating and support to ensure they are recruiting from the widest pool of talent, in an equitable and fair way.
EmployAbility attracts and helps integrate students/graduates with all disabilities. Its free and personalised support to disabled people is designed to empower, motivate and help students and graduates to make successful applications to employers that they may otherwise not apply to. EmployAbility does this through tailored one-to-one and group advisory sessions, such as skills workshops. These focus on subjects such as CV and application form writing, interview and assessment centre skills as well as advice and guidance on the disclosure of disability and empowering and helping candidates to seek reasonable adjustments they may need to effectively participate in the recruitment process and in the workplace.
The support given by EmployAbility to candidates doesn't stop once they are employed. EmployAbility is committed to every candidate they meet and supports them with their on-going career development. The organisation also assists people with disabilities who are internationally based, not only in Europe but also further afield, providing advice and guidance relating to different regional recruitment legislation.
Employers are keen to engage in the disability and employment agenda but are often unsure how to do so. EmployAbility provides a tailored advisory, support and guidance service that understands business needs coupled with their expertise in disability and employment. It demonstrates a business case for employing disabled people and the practical steps and initiatives necessary to bring about the required changes to enable a more diverse and inclusive working environment. The solutions and recommendations EmployAbility proposes often need to be innovative, always practical and workable for all concerned.
EmployAbility provides employers with practical advice and guidance to understand and implement reasonable adjustments, accessible recruitment processes, and raise disability awareness through training and other programmes. EmployAbility's Disability Awareness training focuses, among other aspects, on disability etiquette to enable staff to become more disability confident in working and interacting with disabled people in the workplace. EmployAbility are currently working with, among others, Google, Goldman Sachs, Herbert Smith, the FSA, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The team is united in its passion for removing barriers to employment for disabled people and has doubled the size of their candidate database through the use of social networking and a website relaunch, as well as doubling the number of candidates offered a place onto an internship or graduate programme this year.
EmployAbility was thrilled to have been shortlisted in the European Diversity Awards 2011 and is proud to be partnering with the EDA.
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