The Corporation has ploughed £3.3 million into a jobs programme it says will “open up a wealth of employment opportunities” for young disabled Londoners.
Over the next three years, the Bridge to Work Programme – funded by the City Bridge Trust, the authority’s charitable arm – will seek to narrow the employment gap while strengthen links between employers and the disabled community.
Organisations invited to take part in the delivery of the scheme include Action on Disability, Inclusion London, Action for Kids, National Autistic Society, Muscular Dystrophy UK, and Whizz-Kidz.
“The organisations we are supporting through this new programme will really transform lives through their projects,” said trust chairman Alison Gowman, who explained the project has the potential to be the spark for impactful reforms in this area. “The programme has a wider mission and is looking to influence policy and make real change for the better.”
Despite a steady rise in employment rates over the last decade, just half of working age disabled people in London have jobs, compared to nearly four out of five non-disabled people.
