Graduate Advantage partners with Remploy

Remploy, the UK’s leading provider of employment services to people with disabilities, learning differences and health conditions to work, has signed a partnership agreement with Graduate Advantage in the West Midlands.

The partnership will see the two companies working together to support recent graduates in the area who have a disability, learning difference or health condition to find work placements with local employers.

In the current economic climate, recent graduates are finding it harder than ever to get their first step on the career ladder, with 48 university leavers for every available job, according to recent research (source: Channel 4 news, 08/07/09)  http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/arts_entertainment/art/cutting+edge+while+cutting+costs/3255657

With this in mind, Remploy and Graduate Advantage are matching graduates in the West Midlands to paid work placements to gain invaluable experience and develop their skills. Placements can last anything from four weeks to 12 months and cover all industries and sectors. What’s more, our support is completely free of charge.

With Remploy’s 60 years’ experience in supporting individuals with disabilities, they will offer graduates who have left university in the last three years access to: Employability Programmes to boost job searching skills, support in finding and applying for work placements, disclosing disabilities to potential employers, CV writing and practising for interviews and assessment centres. As Remploy has links with some of the top employers in the area, graduates will be matched to the right placement for their needs and skills.

At Remploy, we believe that having a disability, learning difference or health condition shouldn’t be a barrier to employment. We work with employers so that they can fully understand the issues our candidates experience, supporting them to make any reasonable adjustments necessary. Having a diverse and inclusive workplace can bring many business benefits to employers, including having access to a wider pool of talent and skills and positively promoting their organisation’s ethics.

The partnership also means that Remploy can offer local small and medium enterprises up to £1,000 towards the cost of taking on a work placement. For local businesses, taking graduates on in work placements will mean that they can see real and recognisable benefits to their business; like getting ahead of the competition by developing new products and expanding their customer base. In return businesses will improve the skills and future employability of graduates, retaining local talent and skills to the West Midlands.

Osman Yousaf, higher education services manager from Remploy, said: “In the current economic climate this partnership will prove invaluable to many local graduates who will benefit from our specialist experience and links to local employers. For graduates, having the opportunity to gain valuable experience will mean that they will be better equipped to find permanent employment.”

For further information on Remploy, their partnership with Graduate Advantage and details on work placements, please contact Remploy:

Telephone: 0845 601 5878
Email: graduates@remploy.co.uk
Visit: www.graduates.remploy.co.uk

Last year, Remploy found jobs in mainstream employment for more than 7,000 people with disabilities and health conditions. The company will find 20,000 jobs each year for people with disabilities and health conditions by 2012.