Employment is central to people’s well-being. In addition to providing income, employment can pave way for broader social and economic advancements, strengthening individuals, their families, and their communities.
Fighting Discrimination and social prejudice against Deaf and Hard of Hearing people by advocating for decent jobs and employment opportunities for them
Such progress is however hinged on decent employment. Decent employment opportunities sum up the aspiration of most Deaf women and youth. Thus, promoting decent and productive employment opportunities in both the private and public sectors for Deaf women and Youth is at the core of DESK’S work.
This is achieved through:
- TVET Institutional Capacity Development; this includes further empowerment of vocational training institutions in the training of persons with special needs (TVET); development of tailor-made market-responsive vocational training modules for PWDs; creating opportunities and supporting Deaf women and youth to undertake formal academic training; continuous professional development as well as vocational training.
- Holding forums that promote public-private sector dialogues on employment of Deaf women and youth.
- Building a database of contacts of private sector actors.
- Provision of recruiting workshops to the network of partners. This will contribute to linkage training providers with private sector companies that will HIRE Deaf women and youth graduates.
- Establishing private-public partnerships with local industry to participate in apprenticeship programs and to share the technical experience. Further, we leverage this partnership, to facilitate the matching of qualified individuals who are Deaf with work placements and employment opportunities.
- Raising awareness on skills and capabilities of qualified Deaf women and youth to work for employers.
- Working with employers to raise greater awareness on disability and inclusion so that employers’ recruitment policies incorporate changes on reasonable accommodations within workspace in order to employ Deaf women and youth.
- Lobbying National and County Governments to include Deaf women and youth in employment programs as well as creating a more favorable environment for companies and organizations to employ qualified Deaf women and youth in meaningful roles.