Minister to open recruitment disability conference

Following research which found that 80% of recruitment consultants believe their organisation ‘could do more’ to increase the inclusion of disabled talent, The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) is holding a conference in London in October in a move to create more disability confident recruiters.

The half-day event, which is kindly hosted by headline RIDI sponsor, Eversheds Sutherland, will be opened by Penny Mordaunt MP, Minister of State for Disabled People and will include keynote presentations from influential stakeholders including Paralympic gold medallist, Sophie Christiansen CBE.

RIDI is a not-for-profit organisation working to increase the inclusion of disabled people in the workplace. The conference aims to bring together recruiters, employers and thought leaders to exchange and share knowledge and experiences. It is the first event of its kind to be included in RIDI’s annual programme.

Commenting on the event, Kate Headley, spokesperson for RIDI, said:

“I’m delighted to bring together organisations and recruiters at our first annual conference and thrilled that the inspirational Sophie Christiansen is joining us to speak on the day. Disabled people remain hugely underrepresented in the workplace and RIDI has one purpose - to break down the barriers faced by the millions of disabled jobseekers who are entering or progressing through the job market. This first-of-its-kind event will offer attendees the information they need to become more inclusive to disabled talent as well as providing a platform for discussion on the challenges and solutions adopted by others who have achieved success in this area.”

On why she is supporting the conference, Penny Mordaunt MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, adds:

“Almost 600,000 disabled people have moved into work over the last four years, but there is more to do. Employers must ensure they don’t miss out on some of the best talent in their community. By working together, we can ensure disabled people have every opportunity to thrive.

“This year’s RIDI conference will no doubt encourage more employers to make changes that will go a long way in breaking down social and employment barriers.”

Sophie Christiansen CBE comments:

“I believe that everyone should be able to fulfil their potential in life and employment is a big part of that. Most disabled children and young adults get a lot of support to access education, but then are dropped when they enter the big wide world of employment. We need to provide that support to employers and employees to create a smoother transition and a world where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

- Ends

Notes to editors:

Creating Disability Confident Recruiters will be held at:
Eversheds Sutherland
1 Wood St
London
EC2V 7WS

17th October 2017
8:45 am - 1:30 pm
Tickets cost £85 + VAT. And can be booked here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creating-disability-confident...

Carly Smith
BlueSky PR
T: +44 (0)1582 790 708
E: carly@bluesky-pr.com
W: www.bluesky-pr.com