The biggest ever careers fair held for young disabled people takes Bangalore by storm
2 September 2010 Over 3,000 disabled people, aged 16-34, were given the life-changing opportunity to showcase their skills to employers at the first ever careers fair to take place in Bangalore. On the day nearly 500 hundred disabled people came away beaming after being shortlisted for interviews. And an impressive 171 candidates received offer letters for a wide range of positions including accounts processing, customer care and data entry. The event was organised by the Department of Employment and Training in partnership with the Livelihood Resource Centre, a project supported by the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability. Also present were a group of non-governmental organisations who assisted job-seeking candidates to find career opportunities from 52 companies. Careers counsellors from eight different training institutes were on-hand to talk to the disabled people about the opportunities available to them. The courses on offer included computer guidance, English writing skills, retail training and project management. “Twice as many disabled people attended the event than expected which took us by surprise. This highlights the need for more careers fairs to take place in the future,” said Mr K. R. Rajendra, Regional Representative for South Asia at Leonard Cheshire Disability. “Lack of access, inadequate facilities and discrimination are just some of the issues faced by young disabled people looking for employment. The careers fair was an opportunity to change negative attitudes towards disability and highlight the valuable skills disabled people can bring to the workplace.” “It has made me feel really proud,” added Mujeeb, 28, who landed an interview at the event. Employers from a wide range of sectors, including IT, hospitality, clothing and manufacturing took part in the event. Escort staff, sign language interpretors and audio sound clips were available to ensure the event was inclusive to disabled people with different impairments. The event was closed by state minister for Labour Mr. N. Bachegowda. The Cheshire home in Bangalore has been running an Access to Livelihoods project at its resource centre since 2008. The resource centre provides the relevant skills, education and training to enable disabled people to enter mainstream employment or establish their own business. The project is supported by Accenture as part of its global corporate citizenship focus -- Skills to Succeed -- which educates people around the world, building skills that enable them to participate in and contribute to the economy. Accenture employees develop training courses for the Access to Livelihoods project, serve as guest lecturers and participate in workshops and mentoring sessions. -Ends-Media enquiries
Contact Amy Burns on 020 3242 0313. Email: amy.burns@lcdisability.org. Out of hours: 07903 949 388. Editors Notes The careers fair took place on 17th and 18th July 2010. Leonard Cheshire Disability supports thousands of disabled people in the UK and works in 52 countries. We campaign for change and provide innovative services that give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way. Visit www.LCDisability.org.