A group of 11 people, seven men and four women, whose age varies from 17 to 44 years, are the first group of disabled people to successfully complete a training program offered by -Way to Work service within Support Agency.
The distribution of the certificates to the participants was made by the Minister for Inclusion, Volunteering and Consumer Rights Julia Farrugia Portelli. After the success of this first group, Aġenzija Sapport also announced that the Way to Work program will be offered in Gozo, for Gozitan disabled people.
Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli reminded that this is an election promise and another step in the journey of people with disabilities towards improving the quality of their lives. This is because such a program brings them closer to the world of work. “The work strengthens the dignity of the person concerned because it renders independence to the individual concerned. We are continuing our work to limit as much as we can the disadvantage that a person may have to enter the world of work. The Way to Work service is just a link in a chain of services and initiatives that we have taken and will continue to take to ensure that the principle is implemented that everyone, regardless of their ability, has the right to work,” stressed the Minister.
She concluded by saying that the Government will continue to take initiatives to encourage both employers and people with disabilities, to put aside the prejudice that may exist when it comes to work for people with disabilities.
The CEO of Aġenzija Sapport Oliver Scicluna stressed the importance of such training because it continues to strengthen the abilities of people with disabilities and lead them to be more independent. “This training continues to build on the successes of the INK project and we continue to see interest from disabled people who make an active effort to enter the world of work. Work not only gives dignity to people with disabilities but also gives them the tools so they can continue to live in the community independently,” repeated Mr Scicluna.
Shianne Borg, one of the Way to Work participants who successfully completed her training, also spoke during this activity. She shared her experience where she described it as a positive one and that thanks to this experience she strengthened her abilities, especially through the practical sessions and visits to different places at the workplace. She closed with a message of encouragement to others to enter this experience that will lead them to more opportunities.
The training program took place between October 2022 and last March. The training sessions included, among others, the dynamics between colleagues, workplace ethics, money management, first aid, food handling, preparation for work and the use of technology. The next step for this group is the search for a job through collaboration with the Lino Spiteri Foundation and with the assistance of their Job Coach from the Way to Work service.
