Bosses encouraged to sign up for new internship initiative

The Scottish Government has launched a campaign to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) information on how to access this potential employee market.

Only 41.7 per cent of disabled people aged 16 to 64 are in employment, compared with 81.5 per cent of people without a disability.

An internship programme for disabled people run by Inclusion Scotland will be opened up to SMEs.

Falkirk West MSP Michael Matheson said: “The Scottish Government believes disabled people should have equal access to job opportunities and I welcome this campaign to help tackle the barriers and reduce the employment gap.

“This isn’t just about creating a more inclusive workforce – it’s also about making businesses aware that they might miss out on some of the best talent by not recruiting from the widest possible pool.”