An agreement was signed between the Support Agency and the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector in order to continue to strengthen the work between them.
This agreement will be increasing the collaboration on a new initiative under the Youth Engage Scheme, which is part of the Youth Volunteer Service of the MCVS, where young people with disabilities will be able to improve their career prospects through of practical work in voluntary organisations.
This initiative also helps the participating young people to be included and integrated into society and offers them opportunities to learn new skills. The Minister for Inclusion, Volunteering and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli said that the collaboration between these two entities that fall under the responsibility of the Ministry for Inclusion will continue to create more opportunities for disabled people to be included in the community.
Minister Farrugia Portelli emphasized that this initiative relates to Objective 9 and 10 of the National Strategy 2021-2030 for Malta on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities where it emphasizes independent life in the community and work and employment opportunities for the disabled.
Oliver Scicluna, Chief Executive of Aġenzija Sapport, referred to this collaboration as another step towards the implementation of the agency’s vision which continues to increase the opportunities that lead to people with disabilities living an independent life in the community. This agreement will offer the possibility of work, in this case with voluntary entities, and a space where disabled people who need to acquire practical work at the workplace will be able to do so.
CEO of MCVS Mauro Pace Parascandalo said that, “This agreement creates an opportunity for different entities to collaborate by combining their respective competencies for the benefit of society. You have Aġenzija Sapport, which has the pulse of its sector in the field of disability, is joining us in this project where MCVS has a number of initiatives and continuous contact with voluntary associations. With this agreement we will then be able to collaborate and improve our respective services.”
Present for this signing of the agreement was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Inclusion, Volunteering and Consumer Rights Nancy Camilleri.
