New Minister Visits Disability Confident Employer

The new Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health, has visited a Birmingham business in one of the first official engagements in her new role.

Sarah Newton MP met staff and customers at Newtown-based employment and skills specialists APM, to find out more about the company’s industry-leading approach to supporting disabled people into work.

APM is part of Disability Confident, a scheme that aims to help employers make the most of the opportunities provided by employing disabled people.

The scheme celebrated its first anniversary this month, with more than 5,000 organisations now signed up.

“Enabling more disabled people who want to work, into work, is vitally important. It is great to see that almost 600,000 disabled people have gained employment in the last four years, and it’s essential that we build on this.” said the Minister, who took up her new role last week.

“We all have a role to play in changing the mindset around disability, and employers in Birmingham are stepping up to the challenge by creating more inclusive workplaces.

“I’m determined to maintain this momentum across the country so that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential at work.”

Almost a fifth of the working age population is disabled, yet only an estimated 49%of disabled people are currently in work.

The Disability Confident scheme is one strand of the Government’s strategy to halve this employment gap. The scheme is voluntary and has been developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives.

APM is a Disability Confident Leader, recognising its success in encouraging and supporting others in its supply chain and the wider business community to offer greater employment opportunities to disabled people.

“We were delighted that the Minister chose Birmingham and APM as the destination for one of her first official visits,” said APM Chief Executive, Alan Cave.

“As a business, we have been rooted in the health and disability space for many years and are hugely proud to be part of Disability Confident.

“We take our responsibility for supporting other employers in recruiting and retaining disabled people extremely seriously and were very encouraged by the Minister’s commitment to the scheme.

“By working together across businesses, local enterprise partnerships and local authorities, we believe we can make a real difference to the life and employment chances of disabled people.”

About APM: An international business established in 1994. APM provides a range of services to people, places and business to create and improve skills, employment, and health and wellbeing. For more information about Disability Confident, please contact APM on 0330 414 2525, or click here to sign up to the Disability Confident scheme.