New career service could be bridge between employers and disabled people

29th October 2008

The new Adult Advancement and Career Service (AACS) could be beneficial if it acts as a bridge between the needs of employers and skills of disabled people, said Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) today (October 29).

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) announced today that the AACS will be piloted in ten areas before its nationwide launch in 2010. It will provide adults with advice on jobs and learning, as well as issues like housing and childcare. It will be targeted at groups, such as disabled people, who are most in need of help overcoming barriers to employment.

Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive of Employers' Forum on Disability, said: "The link between better skills and higher employment rates is particularly significant for disabled people, so it is good to see DIUS taking skills, disability and employment seriously.

"We hope this new service can act as a bridge between the needs of employers and talents of disabled people, particularly those with complex needs who are furthest from the labour market. Above all, the AACS needs to deliver the skills employers really need.

"We know that university careers services play an important part in advising disabled graduates on their next steps after graduation. We hope that the AACS will provide other disabled job seekers with the same kind of useful, practical information about issues like reasonable adjustments in the workplace and Acccess to Work.

"It is also essential that the AACS fits with existing provision of benefits and government efforts to get disabled people claiming benefits into work. Employers tell us the current welfare system can be complex and difficult to navigate.

"We look forward to seeing the results of the pilots, and hope they will be evaluated to see how well they meet the needs of employers and disabled people."

Ends

Notes to editors

Media enquiries, please contact:

Brenda Otema, Communications & Marketing Officer
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: brenda.otema@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020

About Employers' Forum on Disability

Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 300 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.

www.efd.org.uk