20 persons with disability had the opportunity to do a job shadowing experience in Bristol, UK – an experience made possible thanks to the Me2! project, which is co-financed by the European Union – European Social Fund. These were accompanied by Support Workers from the project.

This job shadowing experience was possible thanks to the collaboration with Brandon Trust, an organisation based in Bristol, UK, which aims to assist disabled persons find employment.

During a meeting for all participants in this job-exposure experience, Minister for Justice, Dialogue and the Family Chris Said underscored the importance of employment and the valid contribution persons with disability can give to the economy. He stated that employment helps persons with a disability further develop their skills, including social skills, and allows them to attain financial independence.

The Minister said that over the past four years, 20,000 new jobs were created. Currently in Malta there are 900 persons with a disability in full time employment, and another 200 who work on a part time basis. He explained how projects such as Me2! do not only help participants, but also the companies that offer job experiences to persons with a disability. He stated that productivity is at its highest at inclusive work-places.

Minister Chris Said said that the positive outcome of the Me2! project should be an example of best practice for how other projects aimed for increasing employability amongst disabled persons, can be developed and managed.

However, the major benefit reaped from this initiative was the setting up, a few months ago, of the Me2! Cooperative. This Cooperative is providing its members with more opportunities towards further social integration by giving them an active role in the economy and society.

During the opening address, Agenzija Sapport’s Chief Operations Officer Mr. Marcel Pisani praised the commitment of the persons with disability who embarked on this experience. He also explained how the Me2! Project has exceeded its expectations and reached 430 persons with disability, instead of 230 persons as planned. Mr. Pisani said that this is of great satisfaction to the Agency, which leads the project in collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disability and the Employment and Training Corporation.

Mr Stephen Vella, Me2! Project Leader, explained the details of the Bristol visit and the positive impact left on all the participants. As Project Leader, he was responsible for and accompanied the two groups to the UK. Each participant has returned to Malta as a new person. “This experience contradicts the stigma towards disability. Importance should always be given to the person’s ability. Only through this we can offer the necessary challenges so that each person exploits his/her potential”.

During the meeting, the Minister presented a certificate of participation to 10 beneficiaries who went to Bristol last month together with their Support Workers. This was the second group of participants and Support Workers who carried out job shadowing with Brandon Trust in Bristol. The first visit took place in October 2011, from which another 10 persons with disability had benefited from various job experiences.

This was a particularly important milestone for the Me2! project since as a direct result of the first visit, the local participants together with ME2! staff came up with the idea of setting up a cooperative in Malta, lead by persons with disability for persons with disability. Eventually the Me2! Cooperative was set up a few months ago and is currently employing persons with disability.

The benefits reaped from these two visits were various. Each client benefited from a different job experience such as gardening, carpentry, packing, crafts, pottery and farming. They have also met local persons with disability who were carrying out the same type of work. This served as a form of inclusion and communication between persons with disability of different nationalities. Apart from this, the participants experienced direct independent living, with each participant staying in a separate hotel room, and also with pocket money provided by the project itself which they had to budget in an efficient manner.

The main aim of the Me2! Project is to help persons with disability to develop their abilities so that they can have better work prospects. This project started in 2009 and has helped 9 persons with disability find full-time employment, 31 persons are receiving support to maintain their current employment, while another 21 project participants are being provided with training thanks to educational institutions such as MCAST, so that they can obtain new skills. At the same time, 68 persons with disability where given a job exposure experience at different workplaces.

For more information about the Me2! Project the public may visit here.

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