Record year for finding work for disabled people
Guernsey Employment Trust had its busiest ever year in 2023.
The trust supports disabled and disadvantaged people to prepare for, find and stay in work in the island.
Chief executive Nikki Ioannou-Droushiotis said the trust prided itself on doing one thing really well.
‘And that’s getting disabled people into employment,’ she said.
‘Our services are more in demand than ever, with our highest-ever case load and our highest number of referrals last year.’
The charity opened in 2015 and has grown to have 15 full-time members of staff.
Last year it supported 244 disabled people and received 147 referrals – an increase of 56% on 2022. It secured 69 paid employment contracts, 45 of which were permanent.
Mrs Ioannou-Droushiotis said the team was proud of the job retention figures it had achieved.
‘76% of the people we helped find work were still in the role six months later and that doesn’t factor in the many temporary roles we have helped people find,’ she said.
‘Our work is across a very varied case load, a huge variety of roles and individuals. Often people think of retail, which is one sector we work with, but it is much much more than that, it is office jobs, private and States roles, hospitality, banking, care and building companies, other charities, the whole spectrum of employers.’
The trust also launched two new employer training programmes focusing on disability inclusion and Mrs Ioannou-Droushiotis said that as the charity had grown, it had developed really good relationships with employers.
‘Often they will now come to us to see if we can recommend someone for a particular role or for support around a role, for example if someone has a new diagnosis and they want advice,’ she said.
‘We try and get out and meet with employers and provide opportunities and show the value disabled people can bring to a work place.’
Find out more at www.get.org.gg
