People seeking work who are disabled or have long-term health
conditions are to be offered help from a dedicated employability
adviser.
The initiative will be in place by next summer and involve
advisers working with employers to develop roles suited to an
individual's needs.
Included as part of last week's Programme for Government, it is
designed to support people into work, boosting Scotland's
workforce and helping to drive economic growth. It will also help
to deliver the Scottish Government's ambition of creating a
fairer labour market and halving the disability employment gap by
2038.
The Scottish Government will partner with local authorities and
others including health and voluntary organisations to implement
the measures. They build on the existing No-one Left Behind
approach which has supported 61,930 people since April 2019, 19%
of whom reported having a disability.
Employment Minister visited the Routes to Work
South, Cook and Learn Café in Cambuslang to find out how people
facing challenges in getting back to work are currently being
helped.
Mr Arthur said:
“Our commitment to deliver specialist employability support from
summer 2025 will ensure that more disabled people are able to
secure fulfilling jobs.
“Tackling discrimination and stigma faced by those with
disabilities and long-term health conditions is key to building a
diverse workforce and creating a more prosperous and resilient
economy.
“The project that I am visiting today demonstrates how supporting
those furthest away from employment into work helps us to address
labour market inequality and provide people with a better of
quality-of-life.”
Background
This support is being brought forward as part of the Scottish
Government's No One Left Behind
Strategic Plan launched earlier today.
