Minister responsible for Immigration, Jobs, Skills and Training Jeremy Harrison proclaimed October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.
"This month, especially, we will be encouraging Saskatchewan employers to hire people with disabilities in their businesses," Harrison said. "A shortage of skilled labour continues to be one of the largest constraints to continued economic growth in this province. Strategies to support the employment of people with disabilities and their caregivers are critical to ensuring that Saskatchewan's labour market needs are met."
Disability Employ-ment Awareness Month seeks to bring awareness of the individual, economic and societal benefits of diversifying Saskatchewan's workforce by employing people of varying abilities.
"Our government is committed to making Saskatchewan the best place in Canada for people with disabilities to live," Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer said. "Employment of people with disabilities plays a valuable role in making this vision a reality."
"Employment opportunities in the community can often be the first step for an individual toward achieving independence and other goals," Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres Executive Director Amy McNeil said. "Employers who actively hire people with disabilities help make this possible. Proclaiming October 2014 as Disability Employment Awareness Month will increase awareness about the importance of hiring people of all abilities to help create a more diverse workforce."
For more information about employability for people with disabilities, visit www.sarcsarcan.ca/pages/deam.
