The Department of Employment and Labour's Policy Dialogue session on “Transitioning of Persons with Disabilities into Employment" concluded at a high note, with participants echoing the need to work in unison in dealing with the barriers people with disabilities face in transitioning from schooling into employment.
Today the session was dedicated to three focus areas being: the identification of gaps in the policies and frameworks across all structures, how to stop working in silos when dealing with the transition of people with disabilities, and lastly, what need to be done to coordinate the policies including their implementation.
Three commissions dealt with the focus areas and some of their recommendations were that more stakeholders need to be roped in and not just the Departments of Employment and Labour, Basic Education and Higher Education and Training. Some of suggested departments are the Health and Trade and Industry as well as several Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA's).
It was suggested that a framework which better integrates the core departments which should support People with Disabilities (PWD) be developed. The framework must standardise the collaboration for NPO's, NGO's, OPD's which hold the skillset and expertise acting as anchors to implementation, leveraging academia on research and innovation.
According to the Commission that dealt with the second focus area, there must be an implementation plan that provides a comprehensive, multi-sectoral strategy to support the successful transition of learners with disabilities from inclusive education settings to certified skills programmes and ultimately to employment or self-employment. They suggest that the plan be coordinated at the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disability.
They presented a six phased plan which deals with:
-
Coordination and planning
-
Capacity building
-
Learner support
-
Skills roll-out
-
Work transition
-
Monitoring and scaling
According to them several resources are required including:
-
Assistive technologies and adaptive learning materials
-
Funding (SETA grants, tax incentives, public-private partnerships)
-
Inclusive learning facilities and staff training
-
Transport and support services
Another input brought forward was that there need to be change in the procurement policy so that preference be given to organisations of people with disabilities. It was also suggested that incentives be put in place for companies that utilise services and or employ people from such institutions and organisation.
The policy dialogue was held in collaboration between the Departments of Employment and Labour, Basic Education and Higher Education and Training as well as the European Union through the Education for Employment Programme and several organisations.
Enquiries:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 082 697 0694
E-mail: teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za
#GovZAUpdates
