A pilot scheme aimed at helping persons with disability to find remunerative employment within an integrated work setting and with the provision of on-going support services was launched yesterday.
The supported employment pilot scheme was unveiled by Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi at the Employment and Training Corporation which will manage and finance the initiative.
The SEPS aims to act as an incentive for individuals with a disability and who may be perceived as being too challenged to integrate in the labour force.
Its objective is to increase the participation of persons with disability in gainful and productive employment.
The ETC will provide the support needed by prospective employees such as job coaching services and personal assistance on a temporary or permanent basis as well as a wage subsidy to be paid to the employer.
Initially, selected individuals will be placed with employers on the bridging the gap scheme for a period of eight weeks. Bridging the gap is an on-the-job training scheme that does not incur any expense for the employer as the ETC gives the trainee a subsidy of Lm35 weekly, for the duration of the training.
After this period, a multi-disciplinary team, including a representative of the employer, an occupational therapist and an ETC employment adviser, assesses the trainee. The team will determine the level of support needed by the trainee to reach the level of efficiency acceptable to the employer.
The subsidy will be two-tiered with category A - high support for trainees who are assessed to reach an efficiency level of up to 40 per cent, and category B - low support for trainees who are assessed to reach an efficiency level of up to 41-65 per cent.
Dr Gonzi said that persons with disability were being provided with an important mechanism to develop their potential and further their skills.
He said the scheme was a model of how the government wished to further its policy on disability issues - not by segregation and providing closely sheltered environments but through a policy of mainstreaming such that persons with disability have choice and potential.