Representatives from the City of Prince Albert, Government of Saskatchewan, P.A. Community Service Centre and the local business community gathered Wednesday afternoon (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Promoting inclusion

National Disability Employment Awarness month officially proclaimed

Oct 3, 2019 | 1:40 PM

The City of Prince Albert has officially recognized October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Wednesday afternoon at the Prince Albert Community Service Centre, Deputy Mayor Don Cody read out the official proclamation from the city. The Government of Saskatchewan also recognizes the month.

The goal of the month is to promote the inclusion of those with disabilities in the workplace.

After reading the official proclamation, Cody said it is important for government and businesses to work together on issues like this.

“I think it’s incumbent upon the business community and upon us in city to ensure that those people have an opportunity to work, because they’re very valuable to our community and as a result of that we want them to flourish,” he said.

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Cody said when he was running his bakery, he made the effort to hire people who had disabilities. He explained with the proper accommodation, workers with disabilities are just as capable as anyone else.

“It just takes a little bit of extra work for you to do as a businessperson and as a community to help those folks,” he said.

Robert Paul, a vocational counsellor with Prince Albert Supportive Employment, said they are looking to use the month as opportunity to help launch a mentorship program. The goal of this new initiative is to help connect people who have a disability with people who can share their expertise. Paul added this program could provide an opportunity for those who are interested in learning about a certain career.

“Not doing work necessarily, but seeing how it functions, making a connection with that person,” he said.

Paul explained the initiative would allow people to get some first-hand experience of what certain jobs entail and whether they would be a good fit. Along with the experience, Paul said research has shown 70 per cent of jobs available in the city are not advertised, which makes having a network all the more important.

“If they make that connection with a mentor, that mentor may hear about another position and go ‘I am not hiring, but I know someone that is,’” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn