By Meath Live reporter Paul Murphy
A councillor has urged Meath County Council to get more involved in a work placement initiative designed to promote access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities. Sarah Reilly tabled a motion to this effect at the April meeting of Meath County Council saying itconnected employers with graduates through mentoring, paid work placements and creating real opportunity to help organisations create more inclusive work places. Many leading organisations were already involved, recognising the value of diversity and inclusion policies.
While she acknowledged the work already being done by the county council, it was an equal opportunities employer and there was a clear commitment to diversity. The creation by the council of an inclusive diversity and wellbeing officer was a progressive step, she said. The Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme had been in place since 2005 and had provided over 800 placements for graduates with disabilities.
The Fine Gael councillor said that over 7% of the council’s workforce had declared a disability and that reasonable accommodations were being provided to support staff in their roles. The council had also engaged in programmes like the Work Placement Experience Programme to support employment opportunities. All this was positive but the council could do more, she said. “We have not yet engaged with the WAM programme and I believe this is an opportunity worth taking. WAM is not just about placements – it is about partnerships, mentoring and embedding inclusion into everyday workplace practice.”
