Remploy defies the jobs gloom

ONE of the region’s biggest employers of disabled people, whose future hangs in the balance following a Government review, has defied the economic downturn.

Remploy helped 197 people find work in Oldham between April and September, compared with 63 people in the same period last year.

The organisation has also trebled the number of people it has helped find jobs in the North-West, with 1,400 gaining employment across the region, compared with 458 in 2009.

However, the future of Remploy, which has a base in Ashton Road, Bardsley, remains uncertain after the Government placed the organisation “under consideration” following a review of quangos.

Nationally, Remploy found jobs last year for more than 10,600 people who experience severe barriers to employment.

This year, it is on target to increase that number by 60 per cent and help more than 16,000 people with disabilities and other disadvantages into work.

Three-quarters of the people supported by Remploy have been out of work for more than 12 months and almost 40 per cent have learning difficulties or mental illness.

Major employers like BT, ASDA and Poundland report that employees recruited through Remploy take less time off and stay in the job longer than other employees.

Michael Bishop, Remploy’s regional director, said: “These excellent figures are all the more remarkable when you consider the economic climate in which we have been working. They show that with the right support, training and preparation, people with disabilities can play a full role in society and enjoy the benefits that a job brings.

“We could not consistently achieve these results without the support and close relationships we have with North-West employers who recognise the value to their business of employing people recruited through Remploy.

“We understand the needs of their business and make sure that we provide the right person for the right job.”