More work and training opportunities for persons with disability

Family Minister Chris Said last week visited the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality in St Venera, where he met Bianca Bugeja, a person with disability who has just completed a job-exposure experience with the commission.

Ms Bugeja is a beneficiary of the Me2 project, co-financed by the European Social Fund and led by Aġenzija Sapport, in collaboration with the Employment and Training Corporation and the National Commission for Persons with Disability. Ms Bugeja is also a member of the Me2 cooperative, which was launched recently.

Dr Said said the results achieved by the project were higher than had been expected, with 430 people with disability benefiting. Moreover, the cooperative for people with disability has been set up as a direct result of the project, offering them training and job opportunities.

Me2 project leader Stephen Vella said every entity in Malta should ask itself whether it was ready to face this challenge. He explained that job exposure was a temporary training period, whereby a person with disability gained additional skills.

The organisation providing the experience was not obliged to keep the person in employment.

Ms Bugeja attended training sessions featuring communication skills, boundaries, budgeting, har­ass­ment, and support structures, among others. She also carried out secretarial duties at the commision, and benefited from the ETC Work Trial Scheme for three months.

Ms Bugeja is the third person with disability to benefit from job exposure with NCPE as part of the Me2 project.

Interested companies should call 2788 5110. For further details visit www.sapport.gov.mt and http://me2coop.sharepoint.com .