Workthing, the online employment network from the Guardian Media Group has announced a 12-month partnership with Youreable.com, a soon-to-launch portal which aims to provide an online community for those affected by disability. The deal will see both sites offer comprehensive advice and services to the disabled community, including content exchange and editorial links.
Workthing will develop a strong presence on the jobs page of the Youreable website by providing content on generic employment and careers issues, as well as industry-specific editorial. In exchange, Youreable will contribute feature content to the workthing site, offering advice and information about disability issues and legislation, as well as profiles of those affected by these issues. Youreableís users will also access workthingís jobs from a prominent link on the Youreable jobs homepage.
Youreable has also created a kitemark, to identify those companies who fulfil certain criteria with regard to employing disabled people. To begin with, workthing will feature the kitemark on its own vacancies, with a view to offering the mark to advertisers that meet the Youreable criteria in the near future.
Andy Baker, MD at workthing comments: ëThe kitemark will help those with disabilities to recognise employers who are committed to supporting equal opportunities. If we can work with Youreable to encourage employers to look at the wider picture when recruiting, they will be more likely to find the most suitable person for the job, whether they are able-bodied or disabled. We hope that this partnership will strengthen links between the disabled community and the employment industryí.
Many employers do not realise that there is a strong case for employing disabled people and that costs for any adjustments needed to integrate disabled employees in the business are minimal, with proven benefits.
Joe Rajko, founder of Youreable comments: ëResearch has shown disabled employees to be more committed and more productive than many other workers. Our partnership with workthing will help communicate to companies the reality of employing disabled workers whilst helping disabled jobseekers find companies which are completely supportiveí.
www.workthing.com
Workthing aims to strengthen links - 06/2001
between disabled community and employment with youreable.com