ILO and its partners sign a Declaration to promote a greater employment opportunity for persons with disabilities

Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of the ILO for Indonesia signed a Collaborative Declaration to promote a greater access to employment and workplace inclusivity for persons with disabilities, together with the representatives of the Ministry of Manpower, Provincial Manpower Office of Central Java, Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) and Better Work Indonesia (BWI)—a partnership programme between the ILO and the International Finance Cooperation (IFC).

Conducted on 3 August in Semarang, Central Java, the signing ceremony of the Collaborative Declaration to Promote Placement and Expansion of Job Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities through Employment Disability Service Unit was marked the launch of the pilot project to enhance employment disability service unit of the Provincial Manpower Office of Central Java.

If we focus on what talents can be offered and what supports needed to overcome the challenges by our staff, including for the staff with disabilities, we can definitely achieve success. It means that there is no excuse to not hiring people with disabilities."

Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of the ILO for Indonesia

The Collaborative Declaration highlights the importance of job matching prior to a job fair to connect companies with jobseekers with disabilities. It also underscores the important roles of each organization involved in promoting equal employment opportunity and workplace inclusivity. Lessons learnt and good practices taken from this pilot project would be used to replicate and enhance similar works for other employment disability service unit in other provinces and areas.

During her opening remarks, Michiko reflected her experience for 25 years in managing a teamwork that highlights individual talents. “If we focus on what talents can be offered and what supports needed to overcome the challenges by our staff, including for the staff with disabilities, we can definitely achieve success. It means that there is no excuse to not hiring people with disabilities. Providing jobs for them is not a charity, but it is a dignity,” she said before 150 participants attending the event online and offline.

We are pleased to be chosen as the pilot project and we are committed to enhance the services given by the employment disability service."

Candra Yuliawan, Head of Placement and Transmigration on behalf of Sakina Rosellasari, Head of the Provincial Manpower Office of Central Java

A similar enthusiast also shared by Candra Yuliawan, Head of Placement and Transmigration on behalf of Sakina Rosellasari, Head of the Provincial Manpower Office of Central Java. “We are pleased to be chosen as the pilot project and we are committed to enhance the services given by the employment disability service,” he stated.

From the perspectives of the employers, representatives of Apindo and BWI programme emphasized their pledges to encourage their company members to provide people with disabilities with a greater access and opportunity to employment. “Based on my experiences, workers with disabilities are talented, loyal and diligent. They even have higher productivity,” said Darwoto, Head of Advocacy of Apindo.

The signing ceremony was followed with the interactive discussion. In his presentation, Tendy Gunawan, ILO’s programme officer for inclusivity, introduced the Indonesia Business and Disability Network (IBDN), a unique employer-led initiative that works to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in workplaces nationwide. He also encouraged the participating companies to be part of IBDN to part of the global and national movement towards inclusive workplaces.

Based on my experiences, workers with disabilities are talented, loyal and diligent. They even have higher productivity."

Darwoto, Head of Advocacy of Apindo

During the interactive discussion moderated by Khusnul Khuluq, Programming Staff of Kerjabilitas, an online employment platform that connects jobseekers with disabilities with employers, the participating companies shared their experiences and good practices in hiring and employing people with disabilities. Some benefits gained by the companies included higher productivity, better working environment, low absenteeism, low employees’ turn over, better target achievements and so forth.

The event was concluded with the dissemination of the survey targeted to companies and individuals. The survey aims to compile types of activities taken by companies and individuals to promote equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities.

“The results of the survey will be used as the basis for us to connect companies and potential workers with disabilities that will participate in a job fair in December in conjunction with the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities,” added Tendy.

For further information about the IBDN, click here.