Fourth job fair for differently abled

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: Fourth job fair for the differently abled organised by the Employers' Federation of Ceylon on Disability in collaboration with Motivation, a British registered, development agency was held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo yesterday with the participation of several disabled trained prospective job seekers and interested companies.

Motivation has already trained about 600 disabled persons and about 180 persons had been successfully employed since completion of the first job fair. About 500 member companies in the federation including MAS Holdings, Commercial Bank and ID Lanka Ltd.

This is a joint endeavour of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Motivation Charitable Trust and the Ministry of Social Welfare.

Motivation is linked with Employers' Federation of Ceylon which forward the employers' specification on existing vacancies. Motivation matches and screens employees from its database and then nominate them for interviews. Leading organisations such as John Keells and ID Lanka had assisted Motivation in skills development in English language training and Information Technology.

Persons with disabilities who are interested in this programme can send their details to Motivation and get themselves registered. Interested persons should send their full name, postal address, closest main city to the address, contact telephone numbers (both residence and mobile or if you do not have telephone facilities, a telephone number of a person to whom an urgent message can be conveyed), his/her name, relationship to the applicant, type of disability and highest level of education to Employment Placement Programme, Motivation Charitable Trust, No.104, 2nd/3rd Floor, Havelock Central Building, Havelock Road, Colombo 5 and get a printed application and return it duly completed after the applicant will be registered under the programme. Registration can also be done through the 'Jobsnet' www.jobsnet.lk

An employer who wishes to be a part of upcoming job fairs or get information on employing differently abled or even making places of work accessible to them, can contact the Employment Placement Manager of Motivation Charitable Trust or the Employers' Federation of Ceylon or e-mail epp@motivationlk.org

Motivation successfully implements comprehensive programme to improve the survival rate, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community of people with disabilities in fourteen developing countries. Presently in Sri Lanka it works through a contractual partnership with the United States Agency for International Development on `The Disability Support Programme'. Promoting employment for people with disabilities is one of the many services offered by Motivation.

Director General, Employers' Federation of Ceylon, Sriyantha Perera, Chairman, Employers' Federation of Ceylon, Benjamin Kauffled of USAID, Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Ms. Viji Jegarasasingam, and the Deputy Director, Asia Region, Motivation Charitable Trust addressed the inauguration.