15 June 2007
Investing in the skills of disabled people could net the economy an extra £35bn over the next three decades as well as helping to tackle child poverty, according to research.
Stephen Evans, chief economist at the Social Market Foundation, this week called for a national commitment to reduce the relative skills gap between disabled people and the national average.
His report, published by the SMF in association with the Disability Rights Commission on June 11, also urges employers to take on greater responsibility for the training of disabled people.
Evans said: 'The size of the challenge is daunting. But the scale of the prize is huge and the cost of inaction is mounting by the day through wasted talent. The past decade has shown how empowering disabled people and supporting employers can work. The next decade needs to see a step change in this approach and a dramatic boost to the skills of disabled people.'
Ministers echoed the call. Addressing the SMF on June 11, Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton launched the Employ Ability initiative aimed at highlighting the benefits of employing disabled people.
Hutton said attitudes were unlikely to change if too many additional burdens were placed on employers. 'It has to be about enabling them to see and benefit from the huge potential that disabled people have to offer and the difference they can make to an employer's bottom line,' he said.
The project will be piloted in four areas from September before being rolled out nationally.
The SMF report also says that transforming the employment prospects of disabled people will help the government to fulfil its pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020, as a third of children living in poverty have a disabled parent.
Agnes Fletcher, director of policy and communications at the DRC, said too many disabled people were still without jobs. 'Supplying disabled people with the skills they need is the missing link between ending child poverty, boosting the economy and getting more people off benefits and back into work.'
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