Tánaiste Launches Employer’s Guide to the Recruitment and Selection of Graduates with Disabilities.

Mary Harney. Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today (Monday 25th September 2000) launched the “Employer’s Guide on Recruitment of Graduates with Disabilities” at IDA Ireland, Dublin.

The publication of the Employers Guide is the result of the IDA Disability Initiative which followed the Tánaiste’s request to the IDA to consider what it could do to promote the employment of people with disabilities amongst its client companies.

Speaking at the launch the Tánaiste said “One of the key findings of the IDA Initiative was that lack of awareness and misconceptions regarding disability continues to be the most significant barrier to the employment of disabled people in this country. I believe that Disability Awareness Training can greatly help to break down mistaken perceptions of people with disabilities and their capacity to work. To this end I was particularly pleased to secure funding in the Budget for Disability Awareness Training Grants for employers”.

“Grants are also available from FAS for adaptations to the workplace to accommodate people with disabilities. This is a factor which is often cited by employers as a barrier to employing people with disabilities on the grounds of cost. However, when it comes down to it, the cost of adaptations are generally quite small and many adaptations which are made to the workplace benefit not just a person with a disability, but the workforce in general, and amount to good Health and Safety practise. For employers who have not considered employing people with disabilities in the current tightening labour market, the real cost is not that of employing a disabled person, but the cost of failing to attract and retain qualified, motivated and effective employees” the Tánaiste continued..

“The Employer’s Guide which I am launching here today will be a valuable resource to all those engaged in staff recruitment, whether in the public or the private sector. While primarily written in relation to graduates, I think it contains valuable information for the recruitment of all disabled people, whether graduates or not”.

“One way of promoting career opportunities is through the sponsoring of students and I want to compliment the five companies which have offered scholarships to students with disabilities arising from this Initiative. I hope that other companies will follow your lead and that this scholarship scheme can grow to benefit both students with disabilities and the sponsoring companies”, the Tánaiste concluded.