Event shines the spotlight on disabled employees next week

A University student who starred in a BBC documentary will be among those on-hand at a series of events informing businesses about why they should employ people who have a disability.

The University of Northampton and partner Commsortia are hosting a series of free to attend Friday morning ‘Spotlight on…’ workshops at Delapre Abbey, starting at 8:30am on 22 March and running once a month until 19 July. Free tea, coffee and pastries will be provided.

University Sport and Exercise Science student Andy Ibbott who featured in the BBC2 series ‘Employable Me’ – in which people with various disabilities were placed in various work places – will talk on 19 July about the difficulties he has faced finding employment after suffering a serious stroke.

The events kick off next Friday with an introduction from author Jane Hatton who will outline ‘A dozen brilliant reasons to employ someone with a disability.’

Later events are:

• 12 April – Autism East Midlands (working with people who have autism)
• 24 May – Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire (fresh approaches to hiring people from hard to reach groups)
• 21 June – Northamptonshire Association for the Blind (assistive technologies).

The events are part of ‘Working Progress’, a project in which voluntary organisations are supported by the University and Commsortia to help people in hard to reach groups – such as the disabled, those over 50, people with mental health issues or for a variety of other reasons – get back on the road into paid employment.

The University’s Research and Innovation directorate have been co-running Working Progress with Commsortia since September 2016 and the project is funded by the European Union and the National Lottery Community.

To book your place for the Spotlight Events please email: jaime.norris@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

For more information please call: 01604 238869.