The number of employed disabled people more than tripled last year compared to 2014, following a government pledge to enforce penalties against non-compliant businesses, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
Education Ministry figures seen by this newspaper show that 350 disabled people found jobs last year – compared with 100 in 2014 and just 50 in 2010.
The increase coincides with the government’s budgetary pledge to revamp the decades old, but rarely enforced, disability contribution system.
According to the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, disabled workers should constitute two per cent of employees at businesses with 20 or more staff members.
Those who do not abide by the legal quota must contribute between €1,600 and €10,000 annually, which goes towards training and creating job opportunities.
Government sources said official letters had been sent to dozens of businesses last year informing them that the law would be enforced if efforts were not made to employ the minimum number of disabled workers in 2015.
“Employment has been a major obstacle in this sector for several years. Companies were not cooperating so we had to take action. We have seen a significant turnaround, and this is arguably the best thing to happen in this field for several years,” the sources said.
According to the ministry figures the number of compliant firms had grown from 96, 10 per cent, in 2014, to 342, 40 per cent, by the end of last year.
We have seen a significant turnaround, and this is arguably the best thing to happen in this field for several years
However, there is still a long way to go until the government reaches its total employment target of around 820 disabled people in full-time employment at more than 500 firms.
The ministry figures also confirmed a long-held belief that the number of disabled people looking for work is actually much larger than the official unemployment register suggests.
The sources said the ministry had contacted all those employed last year and found that just one out of every four disabled workers had been registering as unemployed with the State employment agency.
“There is a much bigger picture than what the official lists show us. Disabled people do not register for many reasons, be it a lack of motivation or self-esteem or lack of understanding of the social benefits system. What is clear is that there is a lot of untapped potential,” the sources said.
According to the figures, while around 440 disabled people were registered for benefits in 2014, this figure had dropped by some 13 per cent last year.
The figures also suggest disabled people were getting out of unemployment earlier. The average age of those employed last year was the lowest ever recorded: 33. In previous years it averaged 38.
The sources said the newly set up Lino Spiteri Foundation, an integration fund used for employment and training of disabled people, was working towards engaging more businesses. The foundation plans to meet with around 70 employers a month this year to negotiate employment deals.
The foundation is funded primarily through the contributions collected form non-compliant businesses and is also be used to employ job coaches, who can help employers and disabled people at work.
Between October and December of last year it received 81 job offers for disabled workers from 40 employers.