Improving lives of disabled Scots

New funding of £1 million will help employers with support and advice to enable more disabled people to move into work, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

Disabled people make up 20% of Scotland’s population, but only 11% of the private sector workforce and 11.7% of public sector staff.

The funding will help:

• promote the benefits to employers of recruiting disabled people as part of a more diverse workforce.

• encourage employers to support disabled people through offering work experience, paid internships and more access to Modern Apprenticeships.

• ensure employers – particularly those in SMEs - have access to up to date, accurate advice and support when seeking to recruit disabled people.

The First Minister also announced a consultation on setting public sector bodies targets for employing disabled people. This will be followed by a Disability Employment Action Plan in autumn 2018 containing measures to support many more disabled people into work.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“I am determined that we use all the levers we have across Scotland to address the inequality disabled people face in the workforce. Far too many who want to work are denied this opportunity.

“This investment of £1 million will provide additional support and advice to help meet our ambitions of increasing the number of disabled people who are employed.

“Disabled people have a right to work and our new devolved employment service, Fair Start Scotland will prioritise support for disabled people and treat them with the dignity and respect to which they are entitled”

Background

A public sector consultation on the recruitment of disabled people will run from 30 April to 15 August 2018.