Disability Career Expo highlights career prospects for students with disabilities
Learners from St Vincent School for the Deaf from Melrose attended an inspirational annual event to showcase career opportunities.
The Disability Career Expo is South Africa’s largest gathering for promoting and enabling employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The event exposed learners from over 28 schools to corporate career opportunities and what companies are looking for when trying to attract potential employees who are differently abled.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) was the headline sponsor for this year’s which took place on May 18 and 19 at Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec. This social security fund partnered on the annual initiative to provide valid and relevant information to students, graduates and entrepreneurs with physical or intellectual disabilities.
Learners from the St Vincent School for the Deaf in Melrose were part of the hundreds of learners, graduates, and entrepreneurs who attended the event. They were able to connect with over 40 corporates and heard from a range of inspirational speakers about what opportunities await after school.
“Effecting transformative change in the disability arena takes a collaborative effort, and it is for this reason that we partnered on this year’s Disability Careers Expo,” says RAF Corporate Social Responsibility manager, Noluthando Mvabaza. “This event helped to inspire these learners and reiterated the valuable asset they can be to a corporate South Africa,” she says.
“As we continue to work towards a more inclusive society. This event has become a cornerstone for learners, graduates, and entrepreneurs living with disabilities to showcase their talents and connect with leading companies in the country,” says event organiser, Sizwe Zim from Creative Space Media.
Speakers at this year’s Disability Career Expo included Paddy Slattery, founder of Mandeville Disability Swimming who welcomed the class of 2023. A panel discussion addressing the challenges corporates face with disability inclusion in the workplace was also held. Insights were provided by spokespeople from Unilever, Santam, Nestle and Hollard. Justene Smith, a workplace disability inclusion expert at Progression spoke about the importance of driving awareness of the diverse needs and perspectives of all employees.
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