Hedleys Employability, part of The Percy Hedley Foundation, is holding its next Breakfast Awareness Session in March.Held at the Britannia Hotel at Newcastle Airport, this event is part of a series of events in the run up to large national conference being held in the region at the end of this year which will focus on disabled people accessing employment.
‘What Are You Saying’ takes place on Friday, March 4, and will be delivered by David Burdus, director of Burdus Access Management. He will take a brief look at the medical and social models of disability, explaining how our language betrays our thinking, influences perception and can make or break stereotype.
The event is free to all employers from the region and all you need to do is pre-register and turn up. Starting at 8am and finishing at 9.30am, the session will give employers a real insight into the benefits to their company by offering work placements, work experience and permanent jobs to the disabled workforce.
Hedleys Employability, funded by the Big Lottery, works across the region to engage with employers to challenge perceptions and myths about the value of the disabled in the workplace.
Through training, engagement, seminars and mentoring, the Employability Project works with employers to break down barriers and raise awareness to disability to open up opportunities for disabled people in the workplace.
The project is managed by Christine Shanks and focuses on inclusion, awareness, building confidence and relationships.
“Many employers want to ‘do the right thing’ and often need support to achieve this. Having disabled people represented in the workplace breaks down barriers and dispels old fashioned myths about disability,” Christine said.
“We work with disabled people matching their skills to those the employers are seeking. We offer full customer care and support, so if you think you have an opening then why not come along.
“The event on March 4 will be engaging and enjoyable as well as being interactive. It will be thought provoking and demonstrate the need for further action.”
For more information about the event and to pre-register please email c.shanks@percyhedley.org.uk or visitwww.percyhedley.org.uk