Scotland boosts employment opportunities for young disabled people

Employers in Scotland could receive a payment of up to £1,500 if they recruit a young person with a disability for a minimum of 15 hours or more a week.

The Open Doors project has been launched by a partnership between six Scottish charities, in a bid to get more young people with a disability into employment. Currently nearly one in five working aged people in Scotland are disabled, with less than half in employment.

The project will see 350 people aged between 16 and 24 years-old who have a disability helped to sustain a job.

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance said: “When I visited ENABLE Scotland earlier this year to announce the widening of the Targeted Employer Recruitment Incentive, I was hugely impressed by their work to support young people with a disability into the workplace, and I am pleased the extra funding for the incentive is taking that work even further.

“The Scottish Government is committed to breaking down barriers that prevent young people with disabilities or learning difficulties securing job opportunities. Seeing Open Doors Scotland up and running is great progress and marks the beginning of an exciting new phase in helping more young people with additional support needs into the workplace.”

Open Doors will be supporting young people to find work and become a long term member of staff with support available to help them identify and achieve their future goals.

Employers will be able to receive advice surrounding issues about health and safety in the workplace and information about necessary modifications to policy or practice required.

Charities taking part are ENABLE Scotland, Action on Hearing Loss, Capability Scotland, The Lennox Partnership, RNIB and SAMH.

The project is funded by Skills Development Scotland as part of their Employment Recruitment Incentive (ERI)which has already helped Young Carers, Care Leavers and ex-Offenders find work.