Jobs fair held to encourage companies to be more ‘disability-confident’

A reverse jobs fair will be hosted by MPs Heidi Allen and Daniel Zeichner, in partnership with Papworth Trust, at the Lord Ashcroft Building, Anglia Ruskin University, between 10am and 1pm on Friday 16 September.

The free networking event has been organised to make businesses more “disability-confident” by offering advice and support to help improve the disability employment gap.

Heidi Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire, said: “I am fortunate to represent an area that plays host to a wide range of successful businesses, both large and small.

“Our event will be an opportunity for them to share their employment challenges and learn how to become more disability confident in their approach to recruitment.

“We want to not only break down some of the perceived barriers of employing people with disabilities but also demonstrate the wealth of skills that businesses could benefit from. All companies are welcome to come along and learn more.”

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, added: “This is a fantastic chance to widen the net of opportunity for disabled people across our city. It will help small businesses to learn from and connect with the most well-established employers, and I am sure it will yield great results for the people and businesses of Cambridge.”

The event will include a series of stalls organised by specialist providers and organisations that have a good track record in employing disabled people.

Vicky McDermott, chief executive of Papworth Trust, said: “We are proud to be working closely with two of our MPs to organise this very important event.

“One of our big priorities is to help get more disabled people into work and the Government’s target of halving the disability employment gap by 2020 is ambitious and welcome.

“The reverse jobs fair is designed as an opportunity for employers who have worries and fears about employing disabled people to have open discussions and be provided with all the information about what help and support is out there for them.”

Attendees will be asked to make a pledge about what they will do and changes they can make to become more disability-confident.

Part of the Government’s Disability Confident strategy, a reverse jobs fair is an initiative by the Disability Minister which targets more SME companies to employ disabled people.