2nd October 2007

Remploy has helped its 2000th person in the UK to find a job this year - and says the milestone proves its strategy of greatly increasing the number of disabled people it helps into mainstream employment is working.

The UK’s leading provider of employment services for disabled people, Remploy says that its new network of city centre branches is helping a growing number of people to achieve their potential with jobs in the private and public sectors.

The company has already this year more than doubled the number of disabled people it has helped to find jobs in Wales.

Remploy Chief Executive Bob Warner said: “This milestone represents a great achievement. It shows that investing in preparing and training disabled people for mainstream employment works. In the last 18 months we have opened seven city centre recruitment branches around the UK and we are now seeing the benefits. We will be opening more branches in Wales and other parts of the UK.”

The 2000th successful candidate is Cardiff’s Zulfkar Ali, who gained his job by going to Remploy’s city centre branch and asking for advice and help. Father-of-three Mr Ali, who lives in the Roath area of the city, has been visually impaired since he was five. Although he had previously found work, he had not discovered a job that suited him.

He said, “I read about Remploy’s branch in the newspaper and decided to give them a call. Then I had an interview with an advisor, attended a Remploy job club regularly, and got lots of advice on finding jobs that would be right for me. I was put in touch with a local company and a got a job as a customer service advisor – and I am enjoying it greatly.”

Mr Ali, 41, has joined marketing services specialist Conduit UK, which provides customer relations services for some of the UK’s leading companies. He is working on behalf of a major mobile phone company and has been provided with equipment to help him at work – including a large screen for his PC and software that presents type in large sizes.

He added, “Remploy gave me a lot of support, and I would advise any disabled person who wants a job that they can find one. Just keep at it and never give up, because the jobs are out there.”

Conduit UK’s human resources manager, Paul Fitzpatrick, said, “We have several disabled employees who are key members of our team. Our ethos is that if people have the abilities, then we will make the necessary adjustments to help them do the job. Zulfkar is doing really well.”

Karen Wilcox, employment advisor at Remploy’s Cardiff City Centre branch and who worked with Mr Ali, said, “We are pleased to hit this great milestone of helping the two thousandth person into employment – and delighted to have supported Zulfkar into a job he loves. Our goal is to help many more people with disabilities or health conditions to find jobs that are right for them. We can help people to overcome what they may see as barriers – and provide the support to help them achieve their potential.”

Archive