Videos to showcase the good practices of the Inclusive Organisations
The Charter Scheme introduced the Innovation Award for Inclusive Organisation and the Outstanding Mentor Award for Inclusive Organisation in 2015-16 to give due recognition to organisations for their efforts in introducing innovative measures to enhance the employment opportunities of persons with disabilities and to pay tribute to outstanding mentors. Representatives of following outstanding awardee organisations were invited to share their experience in facilitating the employment of persons with disabilities.
Innovation Award for Inclusive Organisation- The Innovation and Technology Commission
Exploring possibility to create new job for persons with disabilities
The Innovation and Technology Commission outsourced the reception service of the Commission to a non-governmental organisation (NGO), requesting the NGO to employ a person with disability as the receptionist. In response to the needs of persons with disabilities, the Commission enlarged the reception area for the movement of wheelchairs and adjusted the height of the counter at the reception.
The Innovation and Technology Commission outsourced the reception service of the Commission to a non-governmental organisation (NGO), requesting the NGO to employ a person with disability as the receptionist. The reception area has been enlarged to allow more space for the movement of the wheelchair. The Commission offered training to the person with disabilities, helping them to adapt to the operation of the Commission.
- Community Business Limited
Establishing a cross sectoral collaboration platform to bring together inclusive employers and a talent pool of higher education students with disabilities
The Business Community Limited, partnering with a numbers of Hong Kong’s tertiary education institutions and a non-profit-making organisation, CareER, introduced the “Fair Opportunity Inclusive Recruitment Programme” with the aim of providing a cross sectoral collaboration platform to bring together inclusive employers and a talent pool of higher education students with disabilities. With pre-event workshops for students with disabilities and employers, followed by inclusive recruitment fairs where students with disabilities met with leading employers that committed to inclusive recruitment, employers would have the opportunity to position themselves as employers of choice for this talent pool.
The Business Community Limited partnering with tertiary education institutions and a non-profit-making organisation, CareER, introduced the “Fair Opportunity Inclusive Recruitment Programme”. 127 students and more than 20 companies joined the pre-event workshops and inclusive recruitment fairs of this pioneering programme.
- Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service
Provision of internship arrangements for students with autistic spectrum disorder to help them in sustaining employment
The Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service introduced a tailor-made programme “My Sky – Career Development Programme for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorder” aiming at helping the young persons with autistic spectrum disorder to adapt to the work environment. The organisation provided job matching and internship arrangements for these trainees as well as offering seminars and support to employers and their employees. The Sky Team visited the trainees at their workplace to review the job arrangement as well as offered suggestions for improvement so as to adjust the expectation between the employers and trainees.
A trainee with autistic spectrum disorder thanked the My Sky Team for their support which helped him settle at the workplace.
The Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service introduced “My Sky – Career Development Programme for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorder” to help the young persons with autistic spectrum disorder to adapt to the work environment. The organisation organised mock job interviews and arranged internship arrangements. During the internship, the Sky Team visited the trainees at their workplace to review the job arrangement as well as offered suggestions for improvement so as to adjust the expectation between the employers and trainees.
- Hang Yick Properties Management Limited (A Member of Henderson Land Group)
Establishing a 2:1 mentoring scheme to provide all-rounded guidance and support for employees with disabilities
The Hang Yick Properties Management Limited has been employing persons with disabilities for more than 10 years. The company introduced a 2:1 mentoring scheme, in which each employee with disabilities was supported by two mentors in the company. Staff members were encouraged to join the mentorship training and counseling workshops to understand the needs of persons with disabilities.
An employee with mobility difficulty thanked his mentor Ms Cho for her guidance in past few years; regarding him as a regular employee; helping him in planning his career; and providing him an opportunity to coach other new colleagues.
The Hang Yick Properties Management Limited has been employing persons with disabilities for more than 10 years. Ms Cho, one of the outstanding mentors said that the 2:1 mentoring scheme introduced by the Hang Yick was very effectiveness, in which each employee with disabilities was supported by two mentors in the company to ensure the employees with disabilities were properly taken care of.
- New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Promoting the outstanding employee with disabilities as a mentor to set an example for other colleagues
The social enterprise farmfress330 under New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association provides a real-life work environment for training people in recovery to acquire job-related knowledge and skills in order to help them to re-integrate into the society and promote self-reliance.
A person in recovery, has been promoted from the trainee position to Assistant Manager post of farmfresh330 (Tai Wai Shop) with his hard work and dedication. Now as a mentor, he shares his experience with his fellows, assists other employees with disabilities in facing difficulties and challenges at work and helps them to re-integrate into society through work.
Fai, Assistant Manager of farmfresh330 (Tai Wai Shop) which is a social enterprise under the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association is one of outstanding mentors. Now as a mentor, he shares his experience with his fellows, helping them to re-integrate into the society through work. His hard work and dedication also gained commendation from management the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
- Po Leung Kuk
Utilising the work ability of persons with disabilities effectively to build an inclusive workplace
Café Sunny is the first catering business of the Po Leung Kuk which operated in form of social enterprises. This social enterprise offers training and employment opportunities to the social vulnerable groups in Tin Shui Wai. Ms Chan, a vocational instructor of Po Leung Kuk, who is one of the awardees of outstanding mentor, regularly visited Café Sunny to assist the employees with disabilities to adapt to the work environment. Ms Chan also shared the communication skills and simple sign language with the employees for better cooperation with the employees with hearing impairment.
The hearing impaired employee thanked the guidance of Ms Chan and the Café Manager given to her and she also enjoyed working at Café Sunny.
Café Sunny at Tin Ching Amenity and Community Building, a social enterprise under the Po Leung Kuk, opened in March 2015. Café Sunny employs 6 employees with disabilities and with another 3 are employee without disabilities. Ms Chan, who is one of the awardees of the Outstanding Mentor Award for Inclusive Organisation, regularly visited Café Sunny to give guidance and assist the employees with disabilities to adapt to work environment.