GUWAHATI, Nov 18 – A pioneering attempt by two organizations will open job opportunities for physically disadvantaged youths of Northeast India on November 19. Career Access 2010, a job fair for persons with disabilities, will promote equal opportunity employment and also spread awareness on the issue.
Organised jointly by Shishu Sarothi, Guwahati, and Ability Foundation, Chennai, in association with Naukri.com, the innovative job fair will encourage disadvantaged youths to get jobs commensurate with their qualifications.
The event would bring together 25 companies representing telecom, insurance, retail, manufacturing, consultancy firms, cosmetics and FMCG.
Significantly, 352 qualified candidates have registered for the job fair from 11 states. Among the applicants, 267 are men and 85 are women. Around 80 per cent of the job seekers are from Assam, it was informed.
In a press conference held today, Jayashree Ravindran of the Ability Foundation said that there was a need for equitable employment, and people with disabilities should not be stereotyped.
She hoped that Career Access 2010 will break stereotypes and also open up people's minds, eventually creating better opportunities for the physically challenged.
Arman Ali, executive director of Shishu Sarothi, said that more corporates should become equal opportunity employers. He hoped that the job fair would be an eye opening event for employers as well as prospective employees.
The organizers mentioned that people with disabilities have a right to a level playing field with equal opportunities, of getting suitable work on the basis of their qualification and skills. It was stated that recruiting people with disabilities is a part of human resource and recruitment policy and not merely corporate social responsibility.
