Call for greater awareness of disabled in the industry

Awareness and employment of people
with disabilities in mainstream South
Africa has been slow, despite legislation
to the contrary.
According to Samantha Konkol,
owner and director of Konkol and
Associates, a recruitment agency
specialising in the clearing forwarding,
airline cargo handling and shipping
industry, more and more companies are
coming on board and employing people
with disabilities ensuring real progress
is made.
“We have just successfully placed the
first-ever matriculant into a learnership
in the industry and are very proud of
this achievement,” she said. “He is
dyslexic and has also been diagnosed
with ADHD. The four-year learnership
will see him covering every aspect of
the clearing and forwarding industry.”
“Many companies have shied away
from employing people with disabilities
as it often involves having to purchase
special equipment which can be costly. It
is important that we create awareness in
our industry about employing disabled
people and the importance of doing so.”
It is for this reason that Konkol and
Associates is encouraging companies to
take part in this year’s “Take a disabled
matriculant to work” campaign.
“As part of our social corporate
responsibility programme we work
closely with matriculants who are
disabled by taking the time to show
them how they can actively engage with
the job market and find work.”