Disability, training opens doors to employment

The UN Convention states it clearly: working is a right also for disabled people, whose full employment, however, remains a distant goal. In Veneto the commitment to reach the goal is very high, as shown by the report on 'Labour inclusion of people with disabilities', drawn up by the regional agency Veneto Lavoro. Last year, the total number of people employed with a disability in the seven provinces was 33,500, most of them employed on a permanent basis (91%) by private employers (75%) and hired by name from the lists of those registered with the Employment Centres (84%). 49% have a technical-employee profile; 37% a part-time contract. The provinces of Padua (21%) and Vicenza (19%) show the highest number of workers.

Many remain on the hunt for opportunities. "There are 23,700 people with disabilities in search of employment, almost 8,000 of whom are ready to enter the labour market immediately and a good number of whom are engaged in training or apprenticeship courses," says Tiziano Barone, director of Veneto Lavoro. Among those enrolled in the targeted employment, most are in their prime working age, i.e. they are between 30 and 54 years old (63%); they have an elementary or middle school diploma (51%); they have a physical disability (53%) and are able to carry out activities independently (66%). In 2023 alone, 5,294 new applicants were added to the lists (-11% compared to 2022) and of these 1,418 are first-time applicants.

On the other hand, there are 12,400 companies subject to the recruitment obligation, based on the provisions of Law 68/99. Of these, many have complied through agreements, territorial compensations or have applied for partial exemption. Of the programme conventions signed between companies and Veneto Job Centres (Cpi), 2,183 were active at the end of last year with the peak in Vicenza (577) and Verona (557). Treviso is in the lead for production units subject to the reserve obligation that have yet to recruit (1,107 positions to be filled). On the other hand, the novelty lies in the progressive increase in the use of the art. 14 tool, which allows economic activities to comply with the law by giving work orders to social cooperatives, which hire in their place. In the last five years there have been 281 active agreements in the region, for a total of 560 persons with disabilities, 256 companies and 85 cooperatives involved. The documentation submitted by the companies themselves (prospectus) shows that at the end of 2023 there were 46,695 positions reserved for people with disabilities, a 3% increase on 2022. This shows that there is still room for inclusion. However, it is also necessary to consider that there are companies exempt from hiring this type, which increased in one year from 556 to 644 (+16%), and the number of exempted positions in industry, especially in some metalworking and logistics sectors, rose to 1,384.

In addition to the employed, many people with disabilities are included in active policy paths. During 2023, more than 11,000 unemployed people were involved in the training and job placement measures provided by the Gol Programme (Worker Employability Guarantee), 3,800 took advantage of the enhanced voucher (a regional initiative that allows people to benefit from free training and job accompaniment services) and 3,300 started an apprenticeship.

On the whole, the Report shows that the Cpi are a stronghold on the territory that facilitates the employment of people with disabilities. In fact, 74% of those who register had already made the same transition previously. After four years, 73% had at least one employment relationship. But 20% of those enrolled need intensive targeted employment tools, with specialised personnel and longer than average timeframes. To be improved, according to the study, are internships to be made more flexible (purpose, duration, allowances, host subjects), training offerings customised to specific needs, expansion of the use of Article 14, and incentives for mobility to training and work places.