- 10% of university students are classed as having a disability
- New site is being backed by major firms including Barclays, EDF Energy and EY
- Greatwithdisability.com will provide a platform for companies to engage with disabled graduates
Pioneering disability consulting firm, My Plus Consulting, is aiming to break down the barriers between Britain’s disabled graduates and potential employers with the launch of new website greatwithdisability.com.
In 2012, almost 10% of all university students in the UK classed themselves as having a disability, but shockingly only 2% of graduate job applications came from people with disabilities.
Aimed at both organisations looking to recruit and become disability confident, and students with disabilities or long-term health conditions, greatwithdisability.com aims to change that statistic by helping remove the challenges and stigma behind applying for jobs as a disabled applicant.
The new site is being backed by corporate giants such as Barclays, EDF energy and EY, who recognise the significant talent pool consisting of disabled graduates, and was officially launched at Barclays Canary Wharf Headquarters on September 12th.
Greatwithdisability.com will provide a platform for companies to engage with disabled graduates and school leavers by showcasing their disability practices, employee case studies and by participating in the discussion forum. The site also profiles career events, job opportunities and career sites and is packed with information for applicants on how to apply for jobs, prepare for interviews and talk to potential employers about their disability.
Helen Cooke, founder of My Plus Consulting, and the new site, said: “Employers constantly ask me what they can do to attract these graduates because of their talent and working abilities. However, ironically the graduates are too anxious to apply for many graduate placement schemes because they’re worried their disability will hinder their application. This is simply not the case.
Greatwithdisability.com was therefore created to nullify these beliefs and inspire graduates coming out of university to aspire to achieve their dreams. They can use the site to see what jobs are out there, which companies are working hard to be great with disabilities and hear from other graduates who are in professional employment.”
Helen Cooke, a wheelchair user herself as a result of childhood spinal injury, is recognised as the leading expert in disability and graduate recruitment. She has spent many years working firstly with organisations to take an inclusive approach to attracting, recruiting and developing disabled graduates and secondly with disabled graduates to help build their confidence around entering the work force.
For more information, please visit www.greatwithdisability.com