SUPPORTING EMPLOYERS
According to a report by the Taskforce on Promoting Inclusive Employment Practices, over 7,000 companies have hired people with disabilities who are known to government-supported disability services.
Many employers do not hire people with disabilities because they are not aware of the benefits of inclusive hiring or have limited knowledge and in-house capabilities to do so, the report read.
Moreover, close to 4 in 5 inclusive employers hire only one person with a disability.
Hence, there is a need to support employers better to tap on the pool of people with disabilities, and create inclusive workplaces for them to contribute meaningfully to companies, the task force said in its report.
This will require growing the number of inclusive employers and enabling them to sustain and scale up the hiring of people with disabilities.
The government targets to increase the number of inclusive employers from over 7,000 today to 10,000 by 2030, of which, 30 per cent will hire more than one employee with disability.
To do so, the task force recommended increasing support to build up employers’ in-house capabilities to implement inclusive hiring practices.
This could include covering the cost to appoint, hire or engage and equip an inclusive workplace “champion” or in-house job coach to cultivate an inclusive work environment.
The task force also recognised the importance of tapping on existing inclusive employers to raise awareness and encourage inclusive hiring.
During engagements with employers, the task force noted that many did not know where to start when it came to inclusive hiring or the types of jobs that were suitable for people with disabilities.
Hence, it recommended expanding the pool of inclusive hiring “champions” who can advocate for inclusive hiring practices in six target sectors.
These include sectors such as information and communications, health and social services, and transport and storage.
For companies that are prepared to drive the inclusive hiring agenda, the government can explore providing funding to support their efforts to increase inclusive hiring among their peers or networks, the task force said in its report.
