These 3 M'sians Are Helping Differently-Abled Adults Find Meaningful Employment
EmployAble was founded due to the apparent need for inclusive employment in Malaysia, they said.
By May Vin Ang — 20 Apr 2023, 12:30 PM
In celebration of Autism Awareness Month, we spoke to the founders of EmployAble, a local training provider started to help differently-abled young adults find meaningful employment in Malaysia
EmployAble is the brainchild of three Malaysian special needs educators in their 30s, Chow Jo-Ann, Ivy Philip, and Alicia Tan, who felt there was a need to address the gap of tertiary education and employment opportunities for adults with learning and intellectual difficulties in the country.
With each having over 10 years of experience in teaching and caring for this community, it was evident to them that while awareness for early intervention, therapy, as well as primary and secondary education have improved in recent years, people with special needs still face a tough time finding jobs.
Furthermore, while appreciating that many companies are interested and well-intentioned in hiring differently-abled employees, at times, some corporations are not equipped with the knowledge and resources to support these individuals under their employment.
From left to right: Chow Jo-Ann, Ivy Philip, and Alicia Tan.
Image via EmployAble (Provided to SAYS)And that's where EmployAble comes in
"We want to bridge this gap through training and education for both trainees and employers," one of the co-founders, Ivy, told SAYS.
"We want to change the landscape of inclusive employment in Malaysia, as well as build a society that is fully accepting and intentional with every individual."
The services at EmployAble are two-fold: there is the Employment Training Program for individuals with special needs, and the Corporate Training Program for hiring organisations
Through EmployAble's training programme, the founders hope that their trainees will learn and develop skills based on their strengths and interests that will make them suitable for employment.
Individuals will be assessed if they are more suited for Sheltered Employment for work under the supervision of EmployAble, or Inclusive Independent Employment for a full-time job at a hiring company.
Meanwhile, under the corporate side, they hope to train the company's leadership team and prepare employees in the organisation with resources to ensure the successful long-term hiring of individuals with learning and intellectual difficulties.
Founded in 2022, EmployAble aims to place five trainees in full-time employment by the end of June 2024
In the meantime, they have successfully partnered with three companies for one-time events, whereby trainees were involved in packing and preparation work, and were paid for their contributions.
Ivy told SAYS that they set attainable goals for each trainee and aim on building not only their functional and social skills, but also their confidence, motivation, and initiative in learning.
"We've had many parents approach us with similar worries — the worry about the future of their child, especially when they are no longer around. They all want their children to have purposeful and meaningful lives and be able to be a part of society just like everyone else," she said.
"This year's UN's observance on Autism Awareness Day really hits the mark for us and what we do — 'Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive World for All', focusing on the contributions of people with autism in their home, work, arts, and policymaking."
"At EmployAble, we hope the training will provide them a future that looks promising and fulfilling — for them to contribute to society just as you and me."
If you are a business owner running gift services, door gifts, wedding, or corporate event services looking for manpower support, EmployAble's trainees are ready to begin work!
Please contact them at [email protected] or visit their website for more information.
