Disability Confident Scheme Reaches Two Years This November

This November marks two years since the start of the new Disability Confident Scheme. The initiative was launched at REC HQ in 2016 by the then Minister for Disabled People Penny Mordaunt MP. Since then we have continued to work closely with the Departments for Work & Pensions as part of the REC/DWP Partnership Agreement to promote the scheme and to showcase the role of recruitment professionals in this area.

The Disability Confident scheme aims to help employers make the most of the opportunities provided by employing disabled people. The scheme has been developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives, with three different levels to support participating organisations through their Disability Confident journey.

As well as promoting the scheme to recruiters and employers, further priorities include spreading best practice amongst employers through the REC’s Good Recruitment Campaign and showcasing practical examples of recruitment professionals making change happen. This is one of the core aims of the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) and of the RIDI awards which the REC is delighted to support. Ensuring that a future UK jobs market is ‘all-inclusive’ was also a key message from our Future of Jobs Commission.

With candidate shortages increasing month on month according to the REC/IHS Markit Report on Jobs, employers are increasingly keen to reach out to under-represented groups, including people with both physical and mental disabilities. Recruitment professionals have a key role to play in making change happen and it is great to see that there are now 117 REC members signed up to the Disability Confident scheme. The REC has signed up ourselves and we will continue to promote the role that representative bodies can play in promoting the inclusion agenda through the CBI Trade Association Council and other peer networks.

To sign up or move up to the next level of Disability Confident please go here. To mark the two year anniversary, we are asking members to encourage their clients to sign up to the scheme. Alongside being good CSR, this is a great hook to get in touch with your clients.

We will be recognising those who have contributed either by signing up/increasing level or those who have encouraged their clients to sign up at the Future of Jobs Commission’s ’one year on’ event on 28 November. So we can keep track of all our members involved, please tweet using the hashtag #disabilityconfidentrecruitment or email Chris Russell on chris.russell@REC.uk.com.