The European Disability Forum (EDF) is calling for a Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, inspired by the model used by the Youth Guarantee. It would be a practical programme that secures placements in either employment, training or education for persons with disabilities seeking to enter the labour market. EU funds would reinforce national spending to support not only persons with disabilities but also employers, training centres or educational establishments welcoming persons with disabilities as part of the initiative.
Still not clear on what the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee is?
Imagine Maria, 32, is a person with disabilities who has been out of the labour market for an extended period of time. Under the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, she could register under the scheme at her local employment office. The EU funds for this initiative (taken from the European Social Fund) would be used alongside national funds to help either pay for training that would eventually help Maria find work in an area that suits her, or to actually find a work placement directly by subsidising her salary for the first few months of employment. This should be implemented no more than four months after Maria enrolls in the programme, and should not have an impact on her disability allowance or access to services until she has secured a permanent contract.
Check our infographic for more details
Infographic alternative text
Disability Employment And Skills Guarantee: a plan for equal access to jobs, training, and education for persons with disabilities.
Why we need a Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee
Only 47,4% of young people with disabilities have a paid job, indicating challenges in entering the job market.
21,5 percentage points: that’s the percentage point gap in employment rates between working-age persons with disabilities and those without disabilities.
Why those numbers?
Current schemes often exclude persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities face barriers to employment and education.
What will it do?
- Provide EU funding and support persons with disabilities in securing a placement in employment, training or life-long learning.
- Ensure every programme is accessible to persons with disabilities
- Help cover reasonable accommodations at work
What is different from the Youth Guarantee?
- More funding for accessibility
- No sheltered workshops
- Participants don’t lose disability allowance
- No age limit
More information on EDF’s page on the updated EU Disability Rights Strategy
Or contact EDF’s Social Policy Coordinator, Haydn Hammersley, at haydn.hammersley@edf-feph.org